Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy underwent second surgery on his right knee after suffering swelling, according to ESPN Kevin Seifert.

McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason, which ruled him out for his entire rookie year. Seifert said this new procedure will not affect his overall recovery.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell played down Wednesday’s news and said McCarthy has otherwise shown encouraging signs with his rehabilitation:

While there’s no immediate cause for concern from Seifert’s report, it’s certainly not encouraging that the 2024 first-round pick experienced swelling severe enough to require further surgery.

From the start, it didn’t look like the Vikings would miss McCarthy much in the short term.

Sam Darnold threw for 932 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in his first four starts, production that far exceeded his career averages. The 27-year-old has steadily fallen back to earth, though, and his season peaked in Week 10 when he threw three interceptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

At 7-2, the Vikings are still in second place in the NFC North and on track to earn a wild-card bid. Whether they can maintain that pace with Darnold regressing is another matter.

His recent performances also make it less likely that there will be any kind of QB controversy down the road. With the way things are going, Minnesota might just let Darnold walk as a free agent and sign another quarterback.

McCarthy’s recovery will likely determine how the front office approaches the position. As long as he’s on track to be healthy for Week 1 of 2025, there’s not that much urgency to sign a quarterback who could realistically compete for the starting job.