Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will, by all accounts, miss the season, due to a full repair of a torn meniscus suffered, apparently, at some point during Saturday’s preseason opener.
But the Vikings have yet to place him on injured reserve, which would indeed end his rookie season. If they wait to do it until the day the 53-man rosters are set, he could potentially return later in the year.
It’s a fair question at this point. A meniscus repair typically isn’t like a torn ACL or a ruptured Achilles. Unless McCarthy’s situation is such that there’s no way he could recover before the end of the regular season or the Vikings have made the strategic decision not to use him this year at all, even if he could be medically cleared, it’s possible the Vikings will keep the door ajar — without making it a thing.
The balance is tricky. Last year, the constant reporting and speculation about a return by Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (fueled in part by Rodgers himself) became a distraction. The Vikings need to go all in with Darnold, and they need to not think about whether McCarthy will be back. They also need Darnold to not be thinking about that, either.
If it turns out that McCarthy is able to return, so be it. But the Vikings would be wise to not even give credence to the possibility unless and until it’s a reality.
None of it will matter if/when the Vikings put McCarthy on IR before August 27. If they do it that day or later, a return will be theoretically possible.