Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell points out ‘blessing’ for J.J. McCarthy despite season-ending injury
J.J. McCarthy has suffered a fate that no rookie quarterback would ever want to. However, his coach finds the silver lining in the QB’s knee injury in the preseason opener. The coach, despite being disappointed, intends to rally the positives out to the fans.
The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a tough blow when their probable starter and overall 10th pick got injured. After the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, it was announced that McCarthy underwent surgery and will not participate in the season.
However, HC Kevin O'Connell's appearance on SiriusXM Radio highlighted the positives from this injury. He first pointed out the heart-breaking nature of this injury.
“As devastating as that news was, I felt the most for JJ himself,” said O’Connell. “Just because from the time we drafted him, he's done everything the right way. That young development process of a young quarterback in this league is a minute-to-minute.”
O’Connell said that this injury and rehabilitation would make JJ McCarthy a better player in the future. However, he was most thankful for the timing of the injury itself.
“I think what I've told him, the blessing is this happened after you've answered a lot of questions for me and a lot of people and your teammates around this organization, we do know you're made of the right stuff.
“You clearly were on the come from a standpoint of your talent, mixed with some of the things, development-wise, technique, fundamentals, the NFL game that he was getting exposed to.”
The QB responsibilities for this season will fall on Sam Darnold. However, the Vikings could also go ahead and trade a QB for an emergency situation.
J.J. McCarthy injury status and update
After his brilliant performance against the Raiders, JJ McCarthy reported soreness in his right knee during practice. Three days later, the rookie underwent surgery, and his full meniscus tear had to be repaired.
The rehabilitation timeline is more than six months and the Vikings announced after the surgery that he is out for the season. Due to this, McCarthy became the first-ever QB to miss the entire rookie season after being drafted in the first round.