A full meniscus repair wiped out all of quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season. He’s officially ready to go for 2025.
McCarthy told reporters on Thursday that he recently received full medical clearance.
It happened at a physical last Monday, June 2.
McCarthy also said the knee wasn’t an issue for him during the offseason program.
“I’ve never felt it at all,” McCarthy said. “You know, it feels honestly stronger than ever.”
That’s great news for McCarthy and for the Vikings’ offense. The team has taken a calculated risk by rolling the dice on an unproven commodity, given that the rest of the roster is ready to contend for a division title — and a potentially deep playoff run.
The Vikings signed General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a contract extension this offseason and they announced that he’ll be working with a pair of assistant General Managers on Wednesday.
The team has promoted Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington to that position. Grigson, who served as the G.M. of the Colts earlier in his career, was the senior vice president of player personnel. Washington’s previous title was vice president of football operations.
“We’re proud of the continued growth and evolution of our entire football staff as we enter 2025,” Adofo-Mensah said in a statement. “Our success is built on the dedication of our talented individuals who bring unique strengths to the table as we push forward to our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Minnesota.”
The Vikings also announced promotions for assistant equipment manager Terrell Barnes, team operations manager Milan Burgess, senior director of football information systems Luke Burson, senior player personnel analyst Taylor Brooks, senior database administrator Mike Desplenter, director of family engagement Quinn Gjersvig, college area scout Michell Mankoff, and associate head athletic trainer Connor Whicker.
In addition to those moves, the Vikings announced titles for director of sports medicine Matt Duhamel, college area scout Jake Essler, senior manager of team operations/liaison to player personnel Chuck Petersen, assistant strength coach/head of applied sports science Dan Ridenour, senior college executive Pat Roberts, and football video coordinator Ella Pearson.
After his first practice with the Steelers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent 12 minutes or so with reporters. One of the most important answers Rodgers gave related to his alternatives to signing with Pittsburgh.
As Rodgers told it on Tuesday, the choice was simple.
“There was conversations with other organizations, for sure,” Rodgers said. “But, again, the rapport that fell in between me and Mike [Tomlin] made it to where, as I was going through my personal stuff, there wasn’t any other option for me. It was here or not play.”
Rodgers previously has said that he spoke to other teams. Most notably, he talked to the Vikings and the Giants. In the end, as he explains it, there was only one team he was going to play for.
Rodgers also said that he doesn’t need to keep playing for his “ego,” and that he made the decision that was “best for my soul.”
“I felt like being here with Coach T and the guys they got here and the opportunity here was the best for me, and I’m excited to be here,” Rodgers said.
Plenty of Steelers fans aren’t as excited, for now. If things go well, they will be. If nothing else, they should be excited about the very low base value of the Rodgers deal — and about the fact that, if he make his full $19.5 million, it will mean that the Steelers have won their seventh Super Bowl.
The Vikings will keep tight end Josh Oliver around for a few more years.
Oliver and the team agreed to a contract extension today.
It’s a three-year extension worth $23.25 million and a maximum value of $27.5 million, including R11.9 million in new guarantees and $19.9 million in total guarantees, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Oliver was heading into the third and final year of the three-year, $21 million contract he signed with the Vikings in 2023. He was originally a third-round pick of the Jaguars in 2019 and was traded to the Ravens in 2021 before signing with the Vikings in 2023.
Last season Oliver played in 15 games with 12 starts on offense and also played 30 percent of the Vikings’ special teams snaps.
The Vikings shuffled their roster ahead of Tuesday’s start to their mandatory minicamp.
The team announced the signing of tight end Giovanni Ricci. Linebacker Matt Harmon was waived in a corresponding move.
Ricci signed with the Panthers after going undrafted in 2020 and made his regular season debut the next year. He had nine catches for 102 yards in 36 games for the team over the next three seasons and he was also credited with 19 tackles while playing on special teams.
Ricci spent time with the Browns and Patriots last year, but did not appear in any games.
T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek, and Bryson Nesbit are the other tight ends in Minnesota.
