Vikings GM provides latest J.J. McCarthy injury update - "He looks great right now"

J.J. McCarthy's first season was cut short when he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, keeping him out for the whole season. McCarthy is preparing for his second season in the NFL, and with the team moving on from Sam Darnold this offseason, he has been given the keys to lead the team while he heals from a knee injury suffered last summer.

Speaking of his health and recovery, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spoke with NFL Network's Tom Pelissero about McCarthy's health. The GM said:

“He looks great right now. And obviously, there were some, you know, probably some missteps or sorry, you know, struggles with the injury as a lot of players can have. You know, when something that you love that much, it almost shows what you loved about the player, how much he loves the game and how much it matters to his life, and brings focus to his life."

He continued:

"And so once you remove that, there's going to be, sometimes, some struggles with that, but he approached everything with a can-do and unbelievable mentality to approach every task to be the best version of himself. Again, that's why he's somebody we want to embody our leadership and our culture. And so yeah, he's been in a great spot every checkpoint, as I said the other day, he's exceeded every throwing session, every workout.”

J.J. McCarthy has big shoes to fill in 2025

J.J. McCarthy, left, Sam Darnold, right, during Las Vegas Raiders v Minnesota Vikings - Source: Getty

J.J. McCarthy could have started last season if not for the injury. The Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million and the two were expected to have a quarterback battle in the preseason.

However, due to McCarthy's torn meniscus, Darnold received the job unopposed and played admirably. Darnold led the Vikings to the playoffs with a 14-3 regular-season record, passing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.

The Vikings opted not to retain Darnold, who then signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

While the Vikings had the opportunity to sign veteran Aaron Rodgers, they chose not to do so, indicating that McCarthy will lead the team this season.