J.J. McCarthy’s Health Takes Another Twist
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is battling a minor hand injury, and in almost any other season, the Vikings QB1 tending to such an ailment would be a nothingburger, as the head coach stated it won’t affect his performance or availability for Week 11.
J.J. McCarthy’s health status took an unexpected turn this week, leaving the Vikings and their fans waiting and hoping for the best with the Bears waiting.
But this is 2025, and because Vikings fans haven’t witnessed the team develop a quarterback successfully since Daunte Culpepper 25 years ago, everything McCarthy-related triggers panic and doomsday thinking.
Thankfully, McCarthy will reportedly be just fine and ready to play against the Chicago Bears this Sunday.
J.J. McCarthy Has a Slightly Injured Throwing Hand
McCarthy already missed five games this season with a high ankle sprain.
It’s a Minor Hand Malady for McCarthy
If you needed another McCarthy storyline, Minnesota has you covered.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis tweeted Wednesday, “Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy was limited today in practice with the hand swelling after hitting it on a helmet.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert added, “J.J. McCarthy will have a bandage today on his right hand, per Kevin O’Connell, after hitting it on a helmet Sunday. It is not expected to impact his week of prep ‘very much,’ O’Connell said, and he remains set to play Sunday vs. the Bears.”
When the first injury surfaced, Minnesota listed McCarthy as a limited participant.
McCarthy Says He’s a Warrior; Is Good to Go
When asked about the injury, McCarthy replied, “If you get your hand slammed in a car door, it’s going to feel different for everything you do with that hand. There’s no excuses. We’re warriors and we’ve got to push through.”
McCarthy also gave no indication that the hand malady would hinder his participation this weekend or preparation for the event.
“I definitely felt it, for sure. Ripped one in there pretty good to Jets and hit a helmet, so you’re gonna be feeling it the rest of the way, but there’s no excuses at all. Gotta find ways to adapt and make sure the ball gets to the receiver,” McCarthy added.
The aforementioned Seifert added, “O’Connell said the bandage is there to protect what was in essence a bruise that caused some swelling, to prevent the issue from ‘festering.'”
Social Media on High Alert
Unsurprisingly, some Vikings fans took the news of McCarthy’s hand injury and used it to skewer the young quarterback. One account commented, “He gets hurt in every single game he plays in. Lmao.”
Another questioned McCarthy’s full ability for the weekend: “Wonder if it affected his grip and some of his late-game accuracy issues.”
One cynic couldn’t resist, “He’s gonna be sidelined for a month.”
“lol man. This is going to 100% use this as an excuse for JJMC’s inaccuracy both last week and going forward,” another opined.
“Nice excuse built in for the accuracy issues Sunday,” said @matty6_ice.
Others — the reasonable ones — took the announcement with a grain of salt and moved on about their day.
Max Brosmer Next in Line Just in Case
Suppose the naysayers and doomsdayists have it right. Well, Carson Wentz isn’t walking through that door; he had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will gear up for free agency in March.
Brosmer, an undrafted rookie from the University of Minnesota, would get the tap on the shoulder if McCarthy’s hand injury caused him to miss snaps. He’s appeared in three games to date, believe it or not, but all in garbage-time or kneeldown situations.
But Brosmer flashed in the preseason — repeatedly — channeling Kyle Sloter scenes from 2018. Some absolutely insist he can be the real deal and transform into the Vikings’ version of Brock Purdy.
With McCarthy’s hand not 100%, Brosmer is once again inches away from the QB1 job and may be at his closest point, aside from Wentz’s swan song game at the Los Angeles Chargers three weeks ago.
SI.com on McCarthy
Will Ragatz weighed in on McCarthy’s latest situation, “Because of McCarthy’s injury history and the way he spoke about the situation on Wednesday, this isn’t something that can be completely written off.”
“But the good news is that neither McCarthy nor head coach Kevin O’Connell expect this to be an issue that affects the preparation for Minnesota’s young quarterback this week or his availability for Sunday’s huge game against the Bears. Late in the third quarter of last Sunday’s loss against the Ravens, McCarthy hit his hand on a helmet while following through on one of his better throws of the day — a strike for a would-be 25-yard touchdown that Justin Jefferson couldn’t haul in.”
With McCarthy in the lineup, Minnesota has already toppled two NFC North opponents, with the Bears on the way.
“He said the pain was noticeable, but noted that he didn’t want to make any excuses for it potentially affecting his play after that point. For now, there doesn’t appear to be any reason to think McCarthy might miss this week’s game. Still, the last thing he needs right now, after struggling with accuracy over his first four career outings, is a throwing hand that’s at less than 100 percent,” Ragatz continued.
“Very early in his career, injuries continue to be part of the story for McCarthy, who has missed 23 of a possible 27 games due to knee and ankle ailments. The hope for the Vikings is that this latest issue is nothing more than it seems.”
McCarthy has also taken heat for his consistency this week, as some Vikings fans thought the 22-year-old would play like a seasoned veteran at all times.
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