J.J. McCarthy revealed on Tuesday that the Vikings have not told him that he’s going to be their starting quarterback in 2025.
But after being sidelined for his rookie year due to a knee injury, he’s on track to be able to earn the role during the offseason.
In his Tuesday interview on Up & Adams, McCarthy said his knee is “fantastic.”
“I mean, I would say I’m 100 percent,” McCarthy said. “But, just staying consistent with the rehab process, not wavering from that, staying disciplined with all the outside stuff, and making sure I’m not chopping too much wood and all that fun stuff.”
McCarthy suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee during Minnesota’s first preseason game, undergoing surgery to repair it, which kept him out for the rest of 2024.
Still, McCarthy found a silver lining in not being able to play.
“It was the ultimate blessing because it’s just a time of stillness where you really get to reflect, and introspect, and find a routine — especially early on in this career and this profession,” McCarthy said. “It’s huge for young guys to find that habitual routine that they can rely on and stay consistent with. So, I would say that was the biggest thing for me.”
The Vikings currently have McCarthy and Brett Rypien on their roster at QB, which would make McCarthy the clear first man up. But Minnesota is likely to add at least one more signal-caller before offseason programs get into full swing to help evenly distribute the reps.
