J.J. McCarthy didn't feel meniscus tear until day after it happened, he says
EAGAN, Minn. — Most season-ending injuries in the NFL are dramatic and immediate — think guys writhing on the ground in pain, then being carted off the field teary-eyed.
But Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy didn't even feel his waylaying wound until the day after it happened.
"The adrenaline was flowing so much throughout that 60 minutes, even when I was not playing, I really didn't feel it until the next day, when my knee started to buckle going down the stairs and I was like, 'I should get this checked out,'" McCarthy said.
The rookie brought up the injury with the team on a Monday, two days after it occurred in his first preseason action against the Las Vegas Raiders. Further testing showed a torn meniscus, which McCarthy described as "a kick in the balls."
Even after his diagnosis, McCarthy didn't know how much time he would miss until he woke up from surgery and saw a brace on his leg — an indicator of the worst-case scenario.
"You go into it and it could be four to six weeks or it could be six to eight months," he said.
His prognosis was on the longer side — a full repair and a season on the injured reserve list.
"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," McCarthy said.
While he can't do anything on the field — in fact, McCarthy said the Vikings' staff is doing everything in their power to make him sit still — he's doing all he can to mentally prepare for his future starting job.
"The biggest learning process is my routine throughout the week," he said. "Let me solidify what it's like to go through the week 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."
In the meantime, McCarthy said he's excited about this year's Vikings team, which he thinks will outperform the dour external expectations.
"I'm excited to see what the future holds because there's something special in this building brewing, and believe coach [Kevin] O'Connell when he says it, because I'm excited to see those boys get after them on Sunday," McCarthy said.
In particular, McCarthy's beating his chest for starting QB Sam Darnold, whom McCarthy may have supplanted if not for the meniscus tear.
"I'm so excited because the guy works so hard, he's so talented," McCarthy said. "He's had such a amazing journey this far into his career and I feel like it's just about to start, because he's done a lot of good things, put it on tape this camp and I can't wait for him to show the world."