Sweet J.J. McCarthy News Dropped Over the Weekend
Although the Minnesota Vikings lost on Sunday in Dublin to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a small bit of good news dribbled out of the week: quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s return is nearing.
The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but the news about J.J. McCarthy was somewhat refreshing, with a return imminent.
The second-year passer suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, putting him on the shelf for a few weeks, but according to the NFL Network telecast of Steelers-Vikings, McCarthy may begin running the scout team as early as this week.
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Inches Closer to Return
So far, McCarthy has missed two games in 2025.
J.J. McCarthy Could Begin Practicing Again This Week
While McCarthy is severely unlikely to start this weekend in London against the Cleveland Browns, NFL Network provided a positive update on Sunday: “If he feels up to it, he will run the scout team quarterback this week in London.”
Leading up to the contest in Ireland, McCarthy had thrown off to the side at practice, so running the scout team before Week 5 would create a trend in the right direction for his return.
The Necessity of McCarthy in the Lineup
McCarthy faces a crucial time window this season — that has been amplified by his meniscus injury last year. The young signal-caller missed all of 2024, his rookie season, meaning the time is now for him to get snaps and mature on the fly.
To date, McCarthy has missed 19 games of an eligible 21, and nothing good happens by watching on the bench. Sitting last year with the knee injury might’ve had some perks, but it’s go-time for him and the Vikings. He must get on the field and learn.
In his first-ever game, the 22-year-old sparked a game-winning comeback that electrified fans. The following week, a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, McCarthy suffered a wickedly regressive loss and a high ankle sprain.
Minnesota has a vested interest in getting him back under center. If not now, when?
Prolonged Health Required
Then, the man must stay upright.
Perhaps the only item that could jeopardize his promising career is the continued occurrence of injuries. Back-to-back-to-back injuries are real for athletes; Trey Lance could tell some stories. McCarthy doesn’t necessarily have to drag Minnesota to a Super Bowl in 2025, but he must stay on the field and cut his teeth during game action.
And the Vikings will stay committed to his development. Another serious injury, after recovering from a broken meniscus and high ankle sprain, might be the only realistic circumstance that prompts Minnesota to veer off course regarding its long-term quarterback plan.
For example, if McCarthy returned to the lineup and tore his ACL, Minnesota might be forced to draft another quarterback in April just to hedge the bet.
Realistic Return Date
Now — the fun part.
McCarthy’s temporary replacement, Carson Wentz, has not set the world on fire through a couple of games. He’s played serviceably. He’s played like a 32-year-old backup quarterback. Therefore, Wentz hasn’t quite done enough to credibly generate “stick with Wentz and ride the hot hand” conversations.
Should McCarthy begin practicing this week, a return date in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles or four days later in Los Angeles against the Chargers is the most probable outcome. If the high ankle sprain were of a more serious nature, he wouldn’t be whispered amid this week’s practice talks.
Kevin O’Connell on McCarthy
Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell said about McCarthy’s recovery last week: “As we go through the weekend, and then on our way in making the trip to London, he will truly be day-to-day, and we’ll see where he is at.
“If we can start ramping up his workload and at least getting him involved, maybe on a limited basis, and allow us to get him on the grass and work some technique and fundamentals, and start building that back up.”
Newsweek‘s Michael Gallagher on McCarthy: “The Minnesota Vikings have been without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the last two games after he suffered a right ankle sprain that opened the door for backup Carson Wentz to step back into a starting role. McCarthy got off to a great start in Week 1, becoming the first player in NFL history to account for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut.”
“He also joined legend Fran Tarkenton as the only two players to throw multiple passing touchdowns in their Vikings debut. McCarthy’s initial prognosis was a 2-4 week absence, and as he recently told NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl, he admitted his ankle is starting to heal. Erdahl reported during Sunday’s broadcast from Dublin, Ireland, that McCarthy could soon start practicing again in a limited capacity as early as this coming week.”
Minnesota’s offense ranks 30th in DVOA through four weeks of the season. Third-worst. The 29th-ranked 3rd Down Conversion percentage has especially hindered efficiency.
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