J.J. McCarthy injury: Best- and worst-case scenarios for Vikings QB’s return timeline after torn meniscus

MINNEAPOLIS — Everything was looking up for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy after his splashy Minnesota Vikings preseason debut … until head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday the first-round draft pick now requires surgery for a torn meniscus. The timeline of McCarthy’s recovery will be determined at the time of the procedure, as reports indicated, but what exactly should Vikings fans expect?

First thing’s first: Doctors will decide what kind of repair McCarthy needs based on three things: 1.) the size, 2.) pattern and 3.) location of the tear, according to CBS Sports HQ injury expert Marty Jaramillo.

The age of the tear is also a factor, a separate medical source tells CBS Sports. If McCarthy’s tear is truly a “new” injury, for example, it’s more likely a milder repair will be the recommended treatment. It’s possible, however, that the tear was only recently identified but had already been present, to some degree.

The best-case scenario for a quick return would be the minor “clean-out” surgery to “trim” the tear, per Jaramillo, which would sideline the quarterback for roughly four to six weeks. The Vikings’ Sept. 8 season opener is about three-and-a-half weeks away.

The worst-case scenario is only “worse” as far as timelines go, Jaramillo explains, because a full repair of a meniscus tear can prevent long-term wear and tear. That kind of operation would sideline McCarthy for an estimated three to four months — until roughly mid-November, at the earliest — but could be “a touch longer, as teams are always more conservative with their rookies.”

In the end, McCarthy “will be OK,” Jaramillo insists. Whether it’s four weeks or four months, “quarterbacks can get fitter, stronger and smarter” in today’s NFL, with today’s medical teams. It’s just a matter of whether the Vikings will be able to enjoy their fresh signal-caller earlier in his anticipated rookie season, or at all.

Either way, the Michigan product is a prime candidate to open the season on a reserve list, such as physically unable to perform (PUP), which would require at least a four-game absence; and veteran Sam Darnold, the longtime favorite to open 2024 under center, is all but a lock to serve as the immediate and indefinite successor to the departed Kirk Cousins.