When the Vikings drafted JJ McCarthy, he probably felt that mix of excitement and pressure. But the NFL had other plans. Before he could even take a real snap, boom—knee injury. A full meniscus tear in his right knee threw a wrench in his rookie season before it even started. Fast forward to now. After all the quarterback chaos—including those Sam Darnold comeback rumors and the Aaron Rodgers buzz—there is an update on McCarthy.

As per the sources, JJ McCarthy is finally ready to take the reins in Minnesota. However, there have been certain rumors about his knee recovery. Some say the guy’s still recovering, while others suggested that he might not fit by week 1 of the 2o25 season. The kicker? Well, the 22-year-old QB has confirmed that he’s 100% fit and ready to lead the Vikings in the next season.

On Tuesday, McCarthy made an appearance on Kay Adams’s Up & Adams Show, where Kay asked him, “I was trying to translate what it means that you’re here and you’re the new addition. It’s your first year. The knee must be doing pretty well, huh?” In response, McCarthy admitted that he was 100%.

“Fantastic, yes, yes. I mean, I would say I’m 100%,” he said. And how is he planning to maintain that? The young QB said, “You know… just staying consistent with the rehab process and not wavering from that and just staying disciplined with all the outside stuff and making sure, you know, I’m not chopping too much wood and doing all that fun stuff.” The day after making his debut in Minnesota’s preseason game back in August 2024, McCarthy encountered swelling in his right knee.

The QB had to undergo surgery the very next week. That wasn’t the kind of start he was expecting. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, in that preseason game. But ended up missing his entire rookie season.

However, following six months in rehab, his doctor came out with a positive update for his recovery from the surgery on the meniscus on his right knee. As per a post by Dr. Jeff Mueller on X, “McCarthy has just under six months until Week 1. He has progressed to throwing, so we know the repair took. There’s a possibility his cartilage isn’t responding well and is experiencing flare-ups (ie: Jerick McKinnon, Lamelo Ball), but no reports have surfaced indicating this.” And here we are now.

With McCarthy feeling good about his recovery, it’s pretty clear Mueller was just throwing out a guess at that point. But let’s be real—bouncing back from a season-ending injury is no walk in the park. And when Adams asked, “I think you’re saying you’re 100%, but I mean, what did that (injury) do to you?” McCarthy confessed that recovering from that injury was actually a blessing.

“It was an ultimate blessing. Because, you know, it’s just such a time of stillness where you really get to reflect and introspect. You  find a routine, especially early on in this career and this profession. It’s huge for young guys to find that habitual routine that they can rely on and stay consistent with. So, yeah, I would say that was the biggest thing for me,” McCarthy said, recalling his recovery days.

That said, after weeks of speculations around the Vikings’ starting QB, it looks like Kevin O’Connell and Co. are probably ready to start their 2025 campaign with McCarthy. The kicker? Well, the franchise hasn’t told him yet whether he’s going to start or not. “They haven’t told me, and I’m happy they didn’t because I try to earn it every single day,” McCarthy further said. “I never want that to be given to me. It’s such a privilege and an opportunity to give me that chance, I’m just gonna make the most of it every single day.”

Well, the way thing are shaping up, it’s pretty much certain that the Vikings are going to go ahead with McCarthy in 2o25. However, his backup QB’s option is still up in the air.

Vikings and the quarterback conundrum beyond McCarthy

The franchise has used five different QBs in the last couple of seasons. It all started after Kirk Cousins‘s injury back in the 2023 season. Now, that’s where things got pretty interesting. See, after Cousins got injured, the team brought three QBs—and one of them was Joshua Dobbs.

The guy didn’t stick around long with the Vikings—just five games, four as a starter, and a 2-2 record to show for it. He wrapped things up with 895 yards and five touchdowns before moving on. Fast forward to now—the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reported that Kevin O’Connell and Co. considered bringing Dobbs for a second stint. Yeah, the same guy who is about to play for the eight team in 2025.

“I actually heard this week that Josh Dobbs was a guy they looked at bringing back for a second tour of duty in Minnesota,” Goessling declared. “They’re looking in that market from what I understand at this point.” Well, that’s worth noting, right? I mean, those Rodgers-Vikings signing surely created a buzz in Minnesota, but Dobbs? That was probably not on the fans’ bucket list.

And let’s be real—with Sam Darnold off to Seattle and the team not interested in Rodgers, the Vikings needed a backup for McCarthy. However, Dobbs eventually signed a two-year deal worth $8 million with the New England Patriots. That said, it’s safe to say the Vikings are probably looking for a veteran QB as a backup to McCarthy.