The J.J. McCarthy Verdict Is In
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy experienced yet another injury in Week 16 at the New York Giants, and now he’ll miss his team’s Christmas showdown against the Detroit Lions.
Minnesota’s season isn’t over, but the McCarthy injury forces clarity fast, and the next two games may decide whether the Vikings can keep the plan intact.
After much speculation from fans for about 48 hours, the Vikings revealed Tuesday that McCarthy indeed suffered a slight fracture when his hand smacked a Giants defender’s helmet. In theory, McCarthy could return for the final game of the season, but that is totally up in the air.
The Vikings QB Plan Just Hit Another Hiccup
The injury theme for McCarthy continues.
No McCarthy on Christmas
Folks wondered for two days about McCarthy’s status, and Minnesota delivered a verdict on Tuesday.
CBS Sports‘ Jordan Dajani wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings will be without J.J. McCarthy for their Christmas matchup against the Detroit Lions, as the second-year quarterback suffered a ‘very, very small hairline fracture’ on his right throwing hand, coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Tuesday.”
“Max Brosmer will make his second career start on Thursday in place of McCarthy. His first NFL start came in Week 13, where the Vikings were blanked by the Seattle Seahawks, 26-0. Brosmer threw for 126 yards and four interceptions in that matchup. Despite the late-season injury, the Vikings are not placing McCarthy on injured reserve.”
O’Connell ended the mystery, and McCarthy will now have missed 73% of all eligible games in the NFL.
A Worrying Trend
McCarthy has been available for nine NFL games in two years. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. Most wrote that off as a fluke thing — “it could happen to anybody.”
Then, in Week 2 of 2025, McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain, thrusting Carson Wentz into action while McCarthy missed five more games. He returned for a few weeks and later suffered a concussion against the Green Bay Packers, causing him to miss another contest.
Upon returning from the concussion, something appeared to click with the youngster, chipping off his two best games as a pro and inspiring confidence in fans that the Vikings might have found the right guy after all. The moment the group felt that sentiment, he sustained a hand fracture.
McCarthy, unfortunately, has now seized the dreaded “injury-prone” label.
Max Brosmer Has a Chance to Sink Lions
The aforementioned Brosmer will fill in for McCarthy on Christmas, the second start of his career. Zero starts in 2025 for Brosmer felt very likely six months ago when no NFL teams drafted him. Minnesota found him via undrafted free agency, but through McCarthy’s injury woes, Wentz’s season-ending injury, and an August Sam Howell trade, fate has landed Brosmer at this very moment.
And before he turned in one of the single worst quarterback performances in Vikings history last month in Seattle, some fans claimed he could forge a “Brock Purdy-like” arc. Three years ago, the San Francisco 49ers had Trey Lance in the system after a 1st-Round draft selection, but Purdy seized the moment out of nowhere to claim the long-term starting job.
That talking point mostly died with Bromser’s horrendous showing at Lumen Field, but now is his chance to kickstart the Purdy talker all over again.
McCarthy against the Packers?
Minnesota did not place McCarthy on injured reserve, which would have been pretty simple to do with only two games left, suggesting there is hope he will play at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 18. The man needs the reps, and that man needs to beat the injury-prone allegations.
He maintains a puncher’s chance to see the field to close out the season. O’Connell told reporters on Tuesday, “It’s been a blast, being with him every day and kind of being along that ride with him. Although we’ve lost time to continue that throughout the season, and we’re experiencing that again here on a fast-opportunity-type short week.”
“That doesn’t take away from the growth we’ve seen from J.J. He’s dialed in. He was out here for the walk-throughs, being a part of things, and wants to stay 100% locked and loaded in the hopes of returning next week, hopefully. Obviously, we’re going to be smart with him and see where it takes us.”
O’Connell also compared the hairline fracture to a bone bruise per recovery time, leaving the door open for McCarthy to finish out the season against the Vikings’ most hated rival.
Since returning from the concussion in Week 14, McCarthy has ranked as the NFL’s sixth-best quarterback per EPA/Play. The guy just needs to get healthy — and stay that way.
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