Vikings' McCarthy stays optimistic despite the discouragement of a season-ending injury

Updated Sep. 6, 2024 6:25 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — J.J. McCarthy knew when he was prepped for knee surgery that the absence or presence of a brace on his right leg when he awoke from the procedure would provide an immediate sign of the state of his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings.

He opened his eyes to a six-to-eight-month rehabilitation program, rather than a four-to-six-week recovery, and the realization of a season-ending injury triggered a brief outburst of profanity.

“I was definitely upset, that's for sure,” McCarthy said.

In less than three weeks, though, McCarthy is scheduled to shed the brace and begin walking again. The natural buoyancy that has fueled his career, however tested by this unwelcomed process, has helped keep his focus on the present and future and not the irreversible past.

“You take everything that life throws at you, and you find the positives in it, good or bad,” McCarthy said Friday at his cubicle in the locker room in his first interview with reporters since the surgery on Aug. 14 for a medial and radial tear of his meniscus revealed a need for a full repair and the longer rehab that comes with it.

“I feel like I’ve been able to gain those deeper connections with my teammates and really take a step back and learn the offense in a more relaxed kind of state of mind. I’m just appreciating every moment.”

The meditative practices McCarthy picked up during his senior year at IMG Academy in Florida as an antidote to depression amid the isolation of the pandemic and used through his time at Michigan have aided his mental health. His fiancée, the team's medical staff, his coaches and his teammates have been strong supports. He's currently reading three different books with themes around humanity, spirituality and self-improvement.

“I’m not going to sit here and sulk and think about, ‘Woe is me,’ and think about the past,” McCarthy said. “I’m just going to focus on ways that I can be better in other parts of my life. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’ve seen a lot of growth in a lot of different areas. I’m just attacking it each day, and it’s going pretty well.”

According to Sportradar research, McCarthy will become the first quarterback drafted in the first round since 1967 who will not play in a game in his rookie season because of injury. There were seven others who didn’t play due to developmental reasons or the depth chart: Jordan Love (2020, Green Bay), Jason Campbell (2005, Washington), Carson Palmer (2003, Cincinnati), Kelly Stouffer (1987, St. Louis), Ken O’Brien (1983, New York Jets), Jim Kelly (1983, Buffalo) and Steve Pisarkiewicz (1977, St. Louis).

McCarthy couldn't pinpoint a particular play in Minnesota's first preseason game against Las Vegas on Aug. 10 when the injury might have occurred. He didn't feel any discomfort until the following day, when his knee began to buckle going down the stairs at his home. The Vikings ordered an MRI exam the day after that, revealing the meniscal tears and prompting his shocked reaction. He thought it was just a bruise.

Despite the disappointment of having to wait to start his playing career, McCarthy, who's just 21, was fully aware of the long-term benefit of the longer-term surgery.

“Let’s figure this out before a landmine goes off in my knee," he said.

The Vikings have video taken from starter Sam Darnold's vantage point in practice that McCarthy can watch in a virtual reality simulator. That allows him to gain as much understanding as he can without actually taking the turns in the offense he had made significant strides in during training camp.

He's moving around the training facility on a cart out of caution, though the protection plan apparently doesn't extend to the doorframe in coach Kevin O'Connell's office that McCarthy accidentally backed into on his way out from a meeting.

“Little paint chip," he said. “Nothing serious.”

There is much more to be impressed with, after all, than McCarthy's motorized maneuvering.

“The mindset toward the long-term growth and the goals that we have for him, those are all still in play,” O'Connell said. “I just love his attitude. I love the way he doesn’t feel sorry for himself.”

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