McCarthy entered last season as a sleeper for many in large part due to a combination of his draft pedigree, the success a slew of quarterbacks before him had in Kevin O'Connell's scheme, and the wide receiver corps the Vikings put on the field. In turn, McCarthy struggled to keep the offense in rhythm in a way previously unknown to O'Connell's scheme. He dealt with injuries and an inability to throw accurately to all areas of the field, and he did not distinguish himself from reserve QB Carson Wentz. Still, McCarthy did manage to cash in on three top-12 finishes in nine games started due in large part to what he offers as a scrambler. Despite averaging just 163.2 passing yards per game and throwing for 11 touchdowns, he added four rushing touchdowns. McCarthy will compete with Kyler Murray to earn the starting job in Minnesota. If he wins the job in camp, a case can be made with another year in the system that he has just as much Fantasy upside as any QB2.
Fantasy Stats
passing
rushing
fantasy
Year
yds
Passing Yards
td
Touchdown Passes
int
Interceptions Thrown
yds
Rushing Yards
td
Rushing Touchdowns
fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
2026
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
2025
1632
11
12
181
4
139
13.9
2024
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
3y Avg.
1632
11
12
181
4
131
13.1
Fantasy News
Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Back to full practice
Rotowire
McCarthy (ankle) has practiced in full this week, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Vikings GM Nolan Teasley said Wednesday that he also expects McCarthy to remain with the team this season, whether it's as Kyler Murray's direct backup or the QB3 behind Carson Wentz. Coach Kevin O'Connell seems to want more time with the 2024 first-rounder in an effort to continue to develop the 23-year-old. Across two preseason games this summer, McCarthy completed nine of 17 passes for 115 yards.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Remains with Vikings
Rotowire
McCarthy (ankle) remains on the 53-man roster for the Vikings, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
There was talk leading up to cut-down day that McCarthy could be traded or even released, but he will remain with Minnesota for the time being. Kyler Murray will open the season as the starting quarterback for the Vikings, and either McCarthy or Carson Wentz will back him up.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Won't play Friday
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McCarthy (ankle) won't suit up for Friday's preseason game at Denver, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
McCarthy emerged from preseason Week 2 with an ankle injury, and while the Vikings were hopeful that he'd be able to play in the team's final exhibition, he'll instead remain in street clothes. After losing out on the starting QB job to Kyler Murray in early August, McCarthy has been serving as the backup in the meantime. Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer are the likely candidates to be under center for Minnesota on Friday.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Sitting out Wednesday's practice
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said McCarthy won't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury, but the Vikings are hopeful he'll start Friday's preseason contest at Denver, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
McCarthy came out of Saturday's exhibition loss to the Ravens with an undisclosed injury, which O'Connell clarified Wednesday. The team wants McCarthy to be the first QB under center in Friday's preseason finale, but Minnesota will continue to monitor whether that's possible for the third-year pro, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Wednesday's absence in the form of rest is a means to that end.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Practices Monday
Rotowire
McCarthy (undisclosed) participated in Monday's practice, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
After losing out on the QB competition with Kyler Murray to begin training camp, McCarthy proceeded to get banged up in Saturday's 13-3 preseason loss to the Ravens, taking one sack while completing five of 10 passes for 81 yards. Seifert noted that McCarthy handled three reps in team drills Monday, which is a bit less than normal, but the Vikings held the session in shells and not pads, so the third-year pro likely still is dealing with the issue.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Banged up in preseason game
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that McCarthy was "a little hobbled" following Saturday's 13-3 preseason loss to the Ravens, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
McCarthy appeared to sustain the injury toward the tail end of the first quarter, and O'Connell relayed that the third-year quarterback would have been in the game for one more offensive series had it not been for the injury. He'll undergo further tests over the next couple of days, which will factor into whether he's available for the Vikings' preseason finale against the Broncos this Friday. Kyler Murray has already been named Minnesota's starter, and while McCarthy is lined up to be the backup, the latter is facing competition from Carson Wentz for the No. 2 job.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Wants to remain with Vikings
Rotowire
McCarthy told reporters Wednesday that he wants to remain in Minnesota despite losing the Vikings' quarterback competition to Kyler Murray, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
"This is the place I want to be," McCarthy said. "And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I'm going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization." Murray was named the team's Week 1 starter Tuesday and veteran backup Carson Wentz remains on the roster, leading to speculation that the Vikings could try to trade McCarthy. Minnesota's 2024 first-round draft pick missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, and McCarthy then threw for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT across 10 starts during the 2025 regular season, prompting Minnesota to bring in an alternative option in Murray.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Continues splitting reps
Rotowire
McCarthy and Kyler Murray will split first-team reps during the early portion of training camp, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
McCarthy and Murray continue to engage in what seems like one of the league's few true quarterback competitions. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has stated that he has a timeline in place to announce a starter, but what that schedule is hasn't been revealed publicly. A 2024 first-round pick, McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to injury and then logged an up-and-down Year 2, throwing for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT across 10 regular-season starts in 2025.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Sharing snaps with Murray
Rotowire
McCarthy and free-agent addition Kyler Murray shared QB reps during Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice, Lindsey Young of the Vikings' official site reports.
Fellow signal callers Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer remain in the reserve mix, while Kevin Seifert of ESPN relays that Murray was on the field for the first QB snaps during team drills Tuesday, after which McCarthy took about an equal number of snaps with the starters -- as was the trend during the media-access portions of Minnesota's OTAs. Per Seifert, Murray is viewed as the favorite to win the the team's ongoing quarterback competition, but at this stage the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft continues his transition to a new offensive system while splitting work with McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, who is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he threw for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT in 10 regular-season starts.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Dropping down depth chart?
Rotowire
McCarthy (hand) is unlikely to enter Week 1 as a starter after the Vikings signed Kyler Murray, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
For what it's worth, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell declined to comment on expectations for a 2026 starter when reporters asked him Thursday. Reading between the lines, McCarthy's poor 2025 performance would make him a major underdog if a job battle were to take place, even against a post-prime version of Murray (who turns 29 in August). O'Connell is saying all of the things one might expect about continuing McCarthy's development, but odds are it'll be happening from the bench for at least the early part of the 2026 campaign.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Could face competition this year
Rotowire
Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski said Tuesday that the Vikings are "exploring all possibilities" at quarterback, a scenario that could lead to McCarthy (hand) facing competition for the team's starting job, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
As the coming season approaches, the report notes that Vikings are aiming to see a "baseline" level of quarterback play that's higher than what they had in 2025, a campaign in which McCarthy dealt with multiple injuries, including a right hand issue that forced him out of the team's regular-season finale. When asked if he still believes McCarthy -- the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft -- can be a franchise quarterback, coach Kevin O'Connell said, "I believe the answer to that question is yes.'" That said, Brzezinski's comments suggest that the Vikings could look to explore bringing in signal-caller help via various avenues. With that in mind, as NFL free agency looms next month, Brzezinski noted "we have a couple of weeks, and so we're just exploring every option that could be out there. We're casting a wide net."
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Exits early in season finale
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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: Limited Wednesday, is 'day-to-day'
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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.
