JJ McCarthy is ‘100 percent’ healthy going into offseason

Former Michigan quarterback and 2023 national champion JJ McCarthy was picked tenth overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Draft last April, but his rookie season didn’t play out in his favor. McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery on his meniscus in August, and went through a second surgery in November after a setback.

JJ McCarthy fully healthy heading into Minnesota Vikings offseason

Sam Darnold took over the starting role for the Vikings after McCarthy went down and led them to a 14-3 record before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round of playoffs. Minnesota opted to let Darnold sign elsewhere (Seattle Seahawks) as a free agent, which opens the door for McCarthy to start.

Four months after his last surgery, McCarthy said he is fully healthy.

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“Fantastic, yes. I would say I’m 100 percent,” McCarthy said on Tuesday’s Up and Adams Show. “Just staying consistent with the rehab process and not wavering from that and staying disciplined with all the outside stuff and making sure I’m not chopping too much wood and doing all that fun stuff.”

Considering his draft position and the fact that he was coming off an undefeated season at Michigan, McCarthy had some high expectations around him. He said the time away helped him figure out how to be a professional.

“It was the ultimate blessing because it’s just such a time of stillness where you really get to reflect and introspect and find a routine,” McCarthy said. “Especially early on in this career, in this profession it’s huge for young guys to find that habitual routine that they can rely on and stay consistent with, so I would say that was the biggest thing for me.”

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Although it’s likely McCarthy gets the starting nod, he revealed that the Vikings haven’t told him the plan.

“They haven’t told me. I’m happy they didn’t because I try to earn it every single day,” McCarthy said. “And I never want that to be given to me, and it’s such a privilege and opportunity to give me that chance, and I’m just gonna make the most of it every single day.”

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