Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Exits early in season finale

McCarthy completed 14 of 23 pass attempts for 182 yards and added seven yards on two carries before exiting Sunday's 16-3 win over the Packers in the third quarter after aggravating a right hand injury.

Unfortunately for McCarthy, his 10th career start came to an early end, as he attempted just one pass in the second half before informing head coach Kevin O'Connell that the small hairline fracture in his throwing hand was presenting issues with gripping the football. After having his entire 2024 rookie season wiped out by a meniscus tear in his right knee, McCarthy missed seven total games in 2025 due to a right high-ankle sprain, a concussion and the aforementioned hand injury. When available, he showed strong scrambling ability (181 rushing yards and four touchdowns), but proved to be raw as a passer. On the season, McCarthy completed just 57.6 percent of his throws for 6.7 yards per attempt and an 11:12 TD:INT, and he also took 27 sacks on 270 dropbacks (10 percent sack rate) while fumbling six times (losing two). The 22-year-old will tentatively head into 2026 atop Minnesota's depth chart, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Sunday that the Vikings are expected to explore more established options at quarterback via trade or free agency this offseason, potentially forcing McCarthy to compete for the starting job in training camp.