The Vikings were already a long shot to make the playoffs before the team announced quarterback J.J. McCarthy (meniscus) would miss the regular season.
While McCarthy's injury setback might not have much of an impact on the 2024 standings, it is more problematic for the Vikings in 2025 and beyond. NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday that McCarthy "underwent a full meniscus repair this morning and is out for the 2024 season." #Vikings first-round QB JJ McCarthy underwent a full meniscus repair this morning and is out for the 2024 season, sources tell me and @TomPelissero .
The repair, done by Dr. Chris Larson at Twin Cities Orthopedics, gives McCarthy the best chance at a long, successful career. pic.
twitter.com/t5e5LCvpwU Per Sports Illustrated , the Vikings ranked last in division-title odds on Aug. 1, before McCarthy suffered his season-ending injury.
Minnesota is in arguably the toughest division in football, with the Lions and Packers coming off playoff appearances and the Bears selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. With the playoffs being a challenging goal, one way the Vikings could have had a successful season was to leave 2024 knowing they had a franchise quarterback on their roster.
Instead of Minnesota seeing what it has in its 2024 first-round draft pick (No. 10 overall), the Vikings must wait a year to begin learning whether McCarthy is the answer. The team's timeline to contending could be.