The Minnesota Vikings’ rookie quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, is set to undergo surgery to address a torn meniscus, which may put his inaugural NFL season at risk.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell shared news of the injury on Tuesday, following McCarthy’s absence from practice the previous day. The team is currently unclear about how severe McCarthy’s injury is and whether full meniscus repair will be needed for his right knee. This will be determined during his surgery, after which a recovery timeline will be established, according to O’Connell.

This injury could significantly impact the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. While a starting quarterback for Week 1 has yet to be named, veteran Sam Darnold began Saturday’s preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Regardless of the injury’s severity, McCarthy is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, possibly missing the start of the regular season. In the past, cornerback Jalen Ramsey dealt with a similar meniscus tear that caused him to miss the first seven games of last season. In 2022, former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson also faced a meniscus injury during the preseason and was back by Week 4. Vikings fans may remember Adrian Peterson tore his meniscus in Week 2 of 2016, went through surgery, and returned by Week 15.

In the preseason opener on Saturday, McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. O’Connell mentioned that the injury occurred at some point during this game, although he could not identify when it happened.

The quarterback expressed on social media that he will “be back in no time.”

While McCarthy is temporarily sidelined, the Vikings’ quarterback options include Sam Darnold, Jaren Hall, and Nick Mullens.