Vikings Make the Call on J.J. McCarthy’s Debut
It’s official. You will see the Minnesota Vikings’ golden boy on the field in five days.
The Vikings have confirmed the rumor about J.J. McCarthy, with the preseason kicking off Saturday against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
McCarthy will return to the forum — the NFL preseason — that ended his rookie season one year ago, confirmed this week by head coach Kevin O’Connell to see action versus the Houston Texans.
O’Connell generally rests starters during the preseason, but allowing McCarthy to get some quasi-real game momentum is evidently a priority.
The Vikings’ First Preseason Game Will Feature Excitement in the Form of J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota v. Houston just became must-see television.
It’s Go Time for J.J. McCarthy in the Preseason
For much of the summer, fans wondered if McCarthy would see action during the preseason, mainly because of O’Connell’s rest-starters philosophy. The answer? Yes.
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Monday, “Kevin O’Connell said J.J. McCarthy will play in the Vikings preseason opener on Saturday. That’d been the expected plan for the young QB, as the Vikings get him his first game action since last year’s opener. Exactly how much McCarthy will play is still TBD.”
The tweet didn’t leave anything to the imagination, and McCarthy is fully scheduled for this Saturday. Boom.
Probably a Couple of Drives and Then That’s It
The caveat? Goessling’s “TBD” reference is likely a hint that McCarthy will play a drive, two, or three, and then get out of dodge. Minnesota followed a similar approach with Sam Darnold last summer, who required acclimation to Minnesota’s complex offensive scheme.
Darnold looked great with the strategy — so did McCarthy after Minnesota pulled Darnold — and the team will use it again. Look for McCarthy to start the game, play some drives, and leave so that Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer can get some game reps.
Last Year’s Masterclass
McCarthy played just one game last summer, the team’s first exhibition contest at the Las Vegas Raiders. The young Wolverine showcased a little bit of everything: a lively arm, pocket presence, wheels, accuracy, leadership, arm strength, and the ability to shake off a bad interception.
Fans rejoiced because, for a day, it felt like Minnesota had finally found “their man” at quarterback. Some hours later, news began to gradually trickle in that something was wrong with McCarthy’s knee. By midweek, he was placed on injured reserve, scheduled for season-ending surgery on a torn meniscus.
Darnold took over, and Minnesota won 14 games before a one-and-done fate in the postseason.
No Starters Otherwise. Usually, Anyway.
Who won’t you see on Saturday? Almost all established starters. O’Connell prefers to rest such players to — you guessed it — avoid injuries, and there’s no reason to believe that the 2025 preseason will be different.
Among notables, wide receiver Justin Jefferson is nursing a mild hamstring tweak. If you wanted to see the franchise’s best player in action, that won’t happen until September 8th, the regular season opener at the Chicago Bears.
Otherwise, the preseason is a playground for youngsters and unknowns to shine.
ESPN on McCarthy at Training Camp
Kevin Seifert of ESPN wrote about McCarthy over the weekend: “The Vikings took extensive action last year to minimize the impact of what otherwise would have been a lost year after McCarthy suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in his right knee, four months after the Vikings made him the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft.”
“They gave him access to audio and video feeds from practice, quizzed him on game plans, assigned him research projects and arranged for weekly meetings with coach Kevin O’Connell. But there is no substitute for time on the field, and McCarthy’s uneven start to training camp has required more patience than some might have expected.”
In fairness, Flores’ defense at training camp would probably rattle an elite quarterback. The group has played that well.
Seifert added, “He opened camp with a series of concern-free practices during the NFL-mandated acclimation period, leading efficient drills and making accurate throws in full team settings, even after Jefferson was sidelined by a strained left hamstring.”
“McCarthy acknowledged that one of his camp goals has been to regain the touch on passes that he believes he lost during his long injury layoff, and he said this week that he appreciates that training camp can be a setting to run plays — and potentially fail — with ‘no consequences to it.'”
You can buy affordable tickets here to see McCarthy versus Houston here.
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