EAGAN, Minn. -- How does an NFL player suffer a season-ending injury without knowing it? Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy explained that circumstance and much more Friday in his first interview since undergoing surgery to repair a radial tear of the meniscus in his right knee.
McCarthy told a group of local reporters that he didn't realize he was injured until the morning after his promising preseason debut Aug. 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. The knee buckled as he walked down the stairs at his home, and by the following day the onset of soreness was significant enough to report to team medical officials.
The resulting whirlwind was "a kick in the balls," McCarthy said with a wry smile, but ultimately unavoidable.
"I just wanted to play it safe and play the long game and understand I could be a tough guy and tough it out and try to grit out that first start that I was going to get [the following week]," said McCarthy, who sat in a chair with his right knee immobilized by a brace and an electric scooter parked nearby. "But at the end of the day, what's best for this organization and this team is me making smart decisions, especially early on in my career.
"And that was one of them, to just figure this out before a landmine goes off in my knee."
The Vikings placed him on injured reserve shortly thereafter, not only ending his season but preventing him by NFL rule from participating in practice at any point this season. He is in the midst of a near-complete six-week immobilization, during which doctors have asked him to avoid any rigorous exercise or sudden movements, and either walk with crutches or use the scooter.
This is happening... pic.twitter.com/mTcE9nOb8B
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McCarthy has been seen riding the scooter through the halls of the Vikings' expansive TCO Performance Center, and at one point he collided with the doorframe around coach Kevin O'Connell's office. (McCarthy insisted the accident resulted in just "a little paint chip.")
Turning serious, McCarthy said he hasn't been able to narrow down which play caused the injury and that "adrenaline" pushed him through a 188-yard, two-touchdown performance over 30 plays.
He said he was "extremely shocked" to learn, following an MRI, that the soreness was a serious injury. When he awoke from surgery Aug. 14 and learned that Dr. Chris Larson had decided on a full repair, rather than a trim, McCarthy admitted to uttering a few profanities in the recovery room.
Eventually, his mood turned more hopeful.
"There's a lot of different ways that you can find the truly amazing things that we overlook in life in times like this," McCarthy said, "because just being able to walk is such a blessing, and I don't know that unless I don't have it. So just going through stuff like that has been what I've been doing."
During a team dinner hosted by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, McCarthy found himself in a conversation with backup offensive lineman David Quessenberry. Quessenberry related that he had also missed his rookie season because of a foot injury and advised him to consider 2024 a redshirt season.
The resulting mindset, McCarthy said Friday, was to "solidify what it's like to go through the week and with the benefit of not having pressure to perform on Sunday. So, by the time I do play, whenever that is, next year, following year, whenever it is, I'll be ready, and it won't be like this is my first game."
To that end, McCarthy is attending team meetings and has a weekly one-on-one session with O'Connell. The Vikings eventually will use virtual reality technology to give him lifelike reps, and they will also provide access to a camera they have attached to starting quarterback Sam Darnold's helmet during practice.
"I want to see him," O'Connell said. "I want his teammates to see him every day. I want him in meetings. I'm going to ... make sure that I can be personally challenging him on his ownership of the game plans, the why behind things we're doing, play intent for me, making sure he's still having a major role leadership-wise with especially that young rookie class. ...
"I want J.J. to feel like he's a support system for Sam, part of the quarterback room ... that culture of that quarterback room. At the same time, bigger picture, making sure we don't waste one moment where you know there could be some growth and development and really continue the positive momentum that I think a lot of us saw in training camp before the injury."