After his serious knee injury, J.J. McCarthy wants to make his breakthrough with the Minnesota Vikings a year late.

J.J. McCarthy is back after his serious knee injury.

Although the Minnesota Vikings have not yet told him that he will be their starting quarterback in 2025, according to him, after missing his rookie season in the NFL.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is confident that he will earn the role in the offseason. On the “Up & Adams” show, McCarthy emphasized that his knee is “fantastic”.

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“I would say I’m back to 100 percent. But I’m just going to stay consistent in the rehab process, not let up, stay disciplined with all the things going on outside, and make sure I’m not multitasking or doing other fun things,” the youngster elaborated.

McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during the Vikings’ first preseason game and had to undergo a total of two surgeries that sidelined him for the rest of 2024.

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Despite the setback, McCarthy was able to take something positive from the difficult situation. “It was the ultimate blessing because it’s just a time of silence where you can really reflect and introspect and find a routine – especially at the beginning of this career and this profession.”

And further: “For young players, it’s very important to find a routine that they can rely on and consistently stick to. So I would say that was the most important thing for me.”

The Vikings currently have two quarterbacks on their roster in McCarthy and Brett Rypien following Sam Darnold’s departure. However, it is considered likely that Minnesota will sign at least one more signal caller before the start of the offseason training programs.