Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Exits early in season finale
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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.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Aggravates right hand injury
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McCarthy exited Sunday's game versus the Packers due to a right hand injury.
McCarthy appeared to aggravate his previously injured right hand early in the third quarter of Week 18 action. At the time of his departure, he had completed 14 of 23 passes for 182 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions and took his two carries for seven yards. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer took over for McCarthy.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Named as Week 18 starter
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McCarthy (hand) will start Sunday's game against the Packers, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The Vikings won't have RB Aaron Jones (hip) or TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder), potentially placing more of the offensive burden on WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Neither has done much with McCarthy under center this season, but things were even worse with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer making starts. The Packers, meanwhile, are expected to rest a lot of key players in preparation for the postseason.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Logs full practice Thursday
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McCarthy (right hand) practiced fully Thursday.
McCarthy sat out last Thursday against the Lions due to a hairline fracture in his right throwing hand that he sustained Week 16 at the Giants. He got back on the field Tuesday and had a "really positive" throwing session, as coach Kevin O'Connell told Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. With a full practice now under his belt, McCarthy is set to take on the Packers in Week 18.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Limited Wednesday, is 'day-to-day'
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McCarthy said after Wednesday's practice that he was limited and remains "day-to-day," Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
McCarthy sustained a hairline fracture in his right throwing hand Week 16 at the Giants and didn't play last Thursday against the Lions. Coach Kevin O'Connell told Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com that McCarthy had a "really positive" throwing session Tuesday, and the quarterback himself said Wednesday that he "felt good throwing." It remains to be seen if McCarthy will be able to suit up Sunday versus the Packers, but Max Brosmer is on hand for another start if the former isn't cleared to play.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Returning to practice Wednesday
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said McCarthy went through a "really positive" throwing session Tuesday with the Vikings' medical staff and will take part in Wednesday's practice, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his right throwing hand during a Week 16 win at the Giants that sidelined him for last Thursday's victory against the Lions. O'Connell said McCarthy likely will be limited in his return to drills Wednesday, but the second-year QB nonetheless is progressing in advance of Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Packers.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Set to undergo further tests Monday
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McCarthy, who left Sunday's 16-13 win over the Giants, appears to have avoided a broken bone in his hand, according to Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune, with coach Kevin O'Connell having confirmed that the QB's initial X-rays came up negative.
Following the game, McCarthy was spotted with his right hand in a fingerless glove in the Vikings' locker room. Per Goessling, McCarthy will undergo further testing Monday, but for now consider the QB day-to-day as Thursday's game against the Lions approaches. If McCarthy is unavailable for that contest, Max Brosmer would be in line to draw the start in his place.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Hurts hand Sunday
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McCarthy won't return to Sunday's game against the Giants after sustaining a hand injury.
McCarthy, who finishes the contest with 108 passing yards and a pick to go along with two carries for 20 yards and a TD, will thus target a potential return to action Thursday against the Lions. In his absence Sunday, Max Brosmer will take over at QB for the Vikings.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Sleeper QBs
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McCarthy is worth using as a low-end starting option in deeper leagues. He has scored at least 26.4 Fantasy points in his past two games against Washington and Dallas, and he has another favorable matchup in Week 16 at the Giants, who are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Four of the past five quarterbacks against the Giants have scored at least 21.2 Fantasy points, and McCarthy could be a good replacement option if you're stuck at quarterback in this scoring period.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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McCarthy is hot coming into Week 16 with at least 26.4 Fantasy points in his past two games against Washington and Dallas. He has another favorable matchup at the Giants, who are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Four of the past five quarterbacks against the Giants have scored at least 21.2 Fantasy points, and McCarthy is worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues in Week 16.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Week 15 Waiver Priority List
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McCarthy took advantage of a great matchup in Week 14 against Washington and had 163 passing yards and three touchdowns, and he added 19 rushing yards for 26.4 Fantasy points. It's hard to trust him in one-quarterback leagues, but his schedule to close the season is amazing against Dallas, the Giants and Detroit. All three of those teams are top-five in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and the Cowboys are No. 1. McCarthy can be used in a desperate situation in Week 15, and he's worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Career-high three TDs in big win
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McCarthy completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 31-0 win over the Commanders. He added 19 rushing yards on six carries.
The three TDs were a career high for McCarthy, although it was just his seventh career NFL game thanks to an injury-plagued start to his career. All three scores went to tight ends, two to Josh Oliver and one to T.J. Hockenson, as Justin Jefferson continues to be neutralized in the Vikings' offense. McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 Draft and hasn't really had much of a chance to demonstrate his upside yet, but a strong finish to the current campaign would brighten Minnesota's outlook for 2026 considerably. McCarthy will take aim at another vulnerable defense in a Week 15 trip to Dallas.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Good to go
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McCarthy (concussion) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Commanders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
McCarthy cleared concussion protocol Wednesday or Thursday and managed full practice participation throughout the week. There's not much good to say about his 2025 campaign or Minnesota's offense, but they'll at least be at home against a Washington defense that's allowing 254.9 passing yards per game (30th) and 8.7 YPA (32nd). Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Friday that McCarthy had a "great week" of practice.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Logs full practice Wednesday
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McCarthy (concussion) practiced fully Wednesday.
Coach Kevin O'Connell told Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com on Monday that McCarthy was closing in on gaining clearance from the concussion protocol, and a full session to begin Week 14 prep indicates he's on the precipice of doing so. A meeting with an independent neurologist still must take place, but he'll have a few more days to get cleared before Sunday's matchup with the Commanders. McCarthy will take back the reins of the Vikings offense from undrafted rookie QB Max Brosmer once he's able to play again.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Ruled out for Sunday
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McCarthy (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at Seattle, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
McCarthy made enough progress though the concussion protocol to log limited practices Wednesday and Thursday, but Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell revealed Friday that the QB remains in protocol. Rookie Max Brosmer will make his first NFL start, after handling the first-team reps at practice this week.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Seen warming up with wrap on hand
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McCarthy was seen warming up before Sunday's game with a wrap on his right throwing hand, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. However, it's the same bandage he had on his hand throughout the week of practice, Emily Leiker of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
McCarthy opened Week 11 prep Wednesday as limited due to a right hand injury, but he was not on the injury report thereafter and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Chicago. McCarthy suffered the right hand injury after hitting it on the helmet of a Ravens defender while following through on a pass attempt in Week 10. While McCarthy does not have an injury designation for Sunday's game, the use of a wrap on his hand in pre-game warmups shows it could be of some concern.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: QBs to Sit
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McCarthy has made three starts in his NFL career this season, and he scored at least 22.9 Fantasy points in two of them. He has yet to pass for more than 158 yards, but he does have two rushing touchdowns. There's a lot to like about his Fantasy potential, but I don't expect McCarthy to perform at a high level against the Ravens. Baltimore is getting healthy on defense and has now limited Matthew Stafford, Caleb Williams and Tua Tagovailoa to 11.8 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row. I would only consider McCarthy in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 10.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Week 10 Waiver Priority List
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McCarthy returned from his five-game absence with an ankle injury in Week 9 at Detroit and had a solid Fantasy outing. It wasn't pretty as he was 14-of-25 passing for 143 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, along with nine carries for 12 yards and a touchdown. But he has now scored at least 22.9 Fantasy points in two of three starts, and hopefully he'll continue to improve as the season goes on. I don't love his matchup against Baltimore in Week 10, but he is worth starting in deeper leagues in Week 11 against Chicago. And then he gets Washington, Dallas, the Giants and Detroit in the Fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14-17), which could be fantastic. McCarthy is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Three total TDs in upset win
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McCarthy completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding nine rushes for 12 yards and another score in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Lions on Sunday. He also fumbled once but recovered.
The second-year signal-caller made his return from a five-game absence and delivered a significant upset in a difficult road environment. McCarthy's final stat line wasn't exactly scintillating, yet it was still fantasy-friendly thanks to his 10- and seven-yard touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson in the first half, as well as his own nine-yard rush with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter. McCarthy flashed encouraging chemistry with both Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he'll head into a Week 10 home showdown against the Ravens with plenty of momentum.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Week 9 Waiver Priority List
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McCarthy (ankle) hasn't played since Week 2, but he's back in Week 9 and will hopefully keep the job for the remainder of the season. In two games this year, McCarthy scored 26.2 Fantasy points against Chicago in Week 1 and 2.8 points against Atlanta in Week 2, which is when he was injured. His upcoming schedule is favorable against Detroit in Week 9, Baltimore in Week 10 and Chicago in Week 11, and hopefully, he'll connect well with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. There's plenty of upside for McCarthy, and he's worth stashing in all leagues if you need a quarterback for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
