Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Will miss entire rookie season

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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The Vikings had some hope that the rookie No. 10 overall pick would only need his meniscus trimmed, an operation that would've allowed him to return in 2024. Instead, surgeons ended up doing a full repair of the meniscus, likely leaving McCarthy with a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 months. With McCarthy's rookie season now completely wiped out, Sam Darnold is set to start Week 1 for the Vikings and potentially hold down the top spot on the depth chart throughout the season. Minnesota could look to upgrade its depth at the position behind Darnold, with journeyman Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall currently ranking as the Nos. 2 and 3 options, respectively.