Vikings' $15,000,000 defensive star reveals J.J. McCarthy's mindset during rehab from meniscus injury

J.J. McCarthy did not play in the 2024 NFL season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Vikings performed admirably, with Sam Darnold starring in his absence, and they posted a 14-3 record. However, they suffered a heavy loss to the LA Rams in the wild-card round.

Darnold has since joined the Seattle Seahawks, and McCarthy looks primed to start in the 2025 campaign. Ahead of the preseason, star Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips spoke about McCarthy’s injury recovery in an interview with Hurrdat Sports on Wednesday.

Phillips, who signed a two-year, $15 million contract extension with the Vikings on Sept. 10, 2024, said:

"So J.J. gets hurt, does his meniscus in training camp, and they want him to like take a break and to relax and get away from football. Like this is a really hard time because he's never been hurt before.

"I think he got hurt on say on a Sunday, on Wednesday, when they figured out what's wrong and what he had to do. He's calling me, and he says, 'What day of the week are you free so that we can meet and you can like watch film with me and talk about defensive line with me?'

"So throughout the whole season he's asking me questions, and we're trying to meet up and sit and watch film while he's a rookie going through the hardest time of his life, injured in a new city, and he wants to sit with one of his vets and captains and watch defensive film so he can understand what's going through my mind in plays, and I was like, that's a sign of someone that's going to play football for a very long time."

Phillips has been with the Vikings since 2022 and is tied to the franchise until the 2026 season. Thus, he'll be able to watch J.J. McCarthy potentially become one of the better quarterbacks in the league.

What's next for J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings?

J.J. McCarthy's torn meniscus saw him miss every game in his rookie season. That meant he became the first QB picked in Round 1 to miss his rookie season due to injury.

However, following Sam Darnold's departure and the Vikings' decision not to get a top-tier replacement quarterback, McCarthy is set to be the team's starter in his sophomore season. He'll get the keys to a franchise consisting of arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson, and one of the most dynamic running backs, Aaron Jones.

J.J. McCarthy is expected to be eased back into action. He has not played competitive football since the 2023 national championship game and is set to make the jump from college football to the NFL. Kevin O'Connell has to monitor his condition before thrusting him into the starting role.

The Vikings had a sensational 2024 campaign. However, they ran out of steam in the final regular season game and the wild-card round. Expect a more assured showing from the franchise in 2025.