Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that McCarthy (ankle) will practice in some capacity ahead of the team's Week 7 matchup against Philadelphia on Sunday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
McCarthy reportedly took notable step forward in his recovery during Minnesota's bye in Week 6, but it remains to be seen whether the second-year pro will be healthy enough that his mobility isn't impeded for Week 7, which is a benchmark O'Connell has mentioned he will need to pass before being cleared for a return to the lineup. Previously, O'Connell had indicated that the Vikings want McCarthy to log a full week of practice before he returns to action. Per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune, O'Connell declined to name a starter for Week 7 on Monday but confirmed that veteran Carson Wentz is still recovering from the injury to his non-throwing shoulder he suffered Week 5.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Ready for on-field work
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that McCarthy (ankle) will get "extensive work" on the field while the Vikings are on bye Week 6, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Assuming McCarthy's right high-ankle sprain responds well to the on-field activity over the next few days, the second-year quarterback is expected to be reintegrated into practices in Week 7 following a three-week absence. Veteran Carson Wentz started in each of the last three games while McCarthy has been sidelined and led Minnesota to a 2-1 record, but Wentz's status is now in question after he was briefly forced out of this past Sunday's win over the Browns with a left shoulder injury. O'Connell didn't provide many details on Wentz's injury Monday, beyond noting that the 32-year-old is "pretty sore" and set for further evaluation. The practice activity of both quarterbacks will be worth monitoring in Week 7, and O'Connell will likely take into account the health of both signal-callers before naming a starter ahead of the Vikings' next game Oct. 19 versus the Eagles.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Ruled out for Sunday
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The Viking have ruled out McCarthy (ankle) for Sunday's game against the Browns in London.
With McCarthy still sidelined due to a right high-ankle sprain, Carson Wentz is slated to draw a third straight start at quarterback while working behind a shorthanded offensive line. McCarthy -- who last played Week 2 -- will thus target a potential return to action Oct. 19 against the Eagles, following the Vikings' Week 6 bye.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Not practicing Wednesday
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McCarthy (ankle) was not spotted at the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said the "hope is soon" that McCarthy will be "back on an individual level," per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. That said, O'Connell noted that he "probably would not expose [McCarthy] to the look team" in the immediate future, a signal that the second-year quarterback doesn't have a very real chance to be available for Sunday's game against the Browns in London. McCarthy hasn't yet been ruled out for Week 5, but even if active, it's likely he would operate in a backup role behind Carson Wentz. The Vikings will benefit from a bye Week 6, making Sunday, Oct. 19 against the Eagles in Week 7 a more realistic tentative date for McCarthy's return, though it's possible Wentz could retain the starting job if he's able to turn in another strong showing versus Cleveland.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: May be ready to practice this week
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell suggested Tuesday that McCarthy (ankle) could be ready to resume practicing this week, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports. "My hope is ... maybe not necessarily early on - we're going to handle Wednesday, probably in a unique way, from what could be kind of a hybrid day, but as we get into Thursday and Friday, I'm hoping we can at least get him out there and get him taking some drops and starting to get back in the normal rhythm of the practice week," O'Connell said of McCarthy. "It will all depend on kind of where he's at with the benchmarks of being able to go out there and start moving around a little bit."
O'Connell didn't comment on McCarthy's potential availability for Sunday's game against the Browns in London, but since the second-year signal-caller isn't expected to be ready to handle full reps with the first-team offense during the week, he'll likely be ticketed for a backup role if he's active in Week 5. Carson Wentz has started under center the last two games, leading the Vikings to a 1-1 record while completing 44 of 66 passes for 523 yards (7.9 YPA), four touchdowns and two interceptions. O'Connell hasn't ruled out the possibility of the veteran retaining the starting job even after McCarthy is back to full health, though it may be contingent on Wentz turning in a quality outing in Week 5 against a stout Browns defense.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Could practice next week
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McCarthy (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers in Dublin, but he could get some limited work in practice next week ahead of Minnesota's Week 5 game in London against the Browns, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Though McCarthy may take some on-field reps next week, head coach Kevin O'Connell has suggested that the second-year signal-caller will need to turn in a full week of full practices before being cleared to play. As a result, McCarthy appears likely to miss a third straight game in Week 5 before potentially returning to action following a Week 6 bye. Carson Wentz should continue to direct the Minnesota offense in McCarthy's absence.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Status TBD with sprained ankle
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that McCarthy has a sprained ankle, and it's unclear if he'll be available Sunday against the Bengals, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
McCarthy had a rough Week 2, completing 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions while turning five carries into 25 yards and losing one of his three fumbles during Sunday's 22-6 loss to the Falcons. If McCarthy ends up missing Week 3, veteran Carson Wentz is in line to step in and lead the Vikings offense.
McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding two carries for 25 yards and another score in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night. He also threw a two-point conversion pass.
Making his long-awaited regular-season debut, McCarthy mostly scuffled through the first three quarters before igniting a 21-point outburst in the final period. The 2024 first-round pick connected with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 13 and 27 yards, respectively, and he followed those scoring strikes with a 14-yard touchdown run to extend Minnesota's 20-17 lead at the 2:53 mark of the fourth quarter. McCarthy also completed a two-point conversion to Adam Thielen, and he connected with seven different targets overall when factoring in that scoring toss. The second-year signal-caller now will prepare for his home regular-season debut, a Week 2 matchup against the Falcons on Sunday night.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Sleeper QBs
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McCarthy is a wildcard in Week 1 against the Bears since this is his first NFL start after missing his rookie campaign in 2024 with a knee injury. Chicago might get a boost with cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin) hoping to play, but the secondary still has question marks. Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is healthy for the Vikings, and Adam Thielen will help McCarthy get over the loss of Jordan Addison (suspension) early in the season, along with T.J. Hockenson.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Won't face Patriots
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Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that McCarthy will not suit up for Saturday's preseason contest against New England.
McCarthy played one drive during Minnesota's preseason opener against the Texans, completing four of seven passes for 30 yards while rushing once for eight yards, but Sam Howell will get the start versus the Patriots. During the Vikings' exhibition finale versus Tennessee on Friday, Aug. 22, McCarthy could get a chance to handle more reps. Justin Jefferson (hamstring) remains absent from practice but will be re-evaluated next week, while Jordan Addison (suspension) will be eligible to play the remainder of the preseason but will begin the regular season with a three-game suspension.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Plays one drive Saturday
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McCarthy completed four of seven passes for 30 yards and added eight yards on his only carry in Saturday's 20-10 preseason win over the Texans.
Seeing his first NFL game action since undergoing knee surgery in August 2024, McCarthy played just one possession and led the Vikings to a field goal, with his longest completion going for 18 yards to Jordan Addison. Neither Justin Jefferson (hamstring) nor T.J. Hockenson (leg) suited up for Saturday's contest, and whatever chemistry McCarthy develops with Addison will get shelved until Week 4 due to the wideout's looming suspension, but the top priority for the young QB this preseason is just to stay healthy as he heads into his first season as Minnesota's starter.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Set to play Saturday
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McCarthy is slated to start Saturday's preseason opener against the Texans, Steven Louis Goldstein of The Athletic reports.
This will mark McCarthy's first game action since he tore the meniscus in his right knee in his first NFL preseason contest last year. With Sam Darnold no longer in the mix, the 2024 first-rounder is on track to begin the coming campaign as the Vikings' starting QB. As for Saturday, it remains to be seen how many snaps McCarthy will see, but for context, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com notes that Darnold played the first series of the 2024 preseason opener, 12 snaps in total, before giving way to McCarthy.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: In line to play preseason opener
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McCarthy is expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
McCarthy's workload in Minnesota's exhibition opener is to be determined. Beyond that, as coach Kevin O'Connell told Goessling, the Vikings "will more than likely" focus on a joint practice with the Patriots next Wednesday, Aug. 13 and then hold out McCarthy in the ensuing preseason contest with New England on Saturday, Aug. 16. How McCarthy looks after that point will determine whether or not he sees game action in the final preseason contest Friday, Aug. 22 at Tennessee.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Will miss entire rookie season
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The Vikings had some hope that the rookie No. 10 overall pick would only need his meniscus trimmed, an operation that would've allowed him to return in 2024. Instead, surgeons ended up doing a full repair of the meniscus, likely leaving McCarthy with a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 months. With McCarthy's rookie season now completely wiped out, Sam Darnold is set to start Week 1 for the Vikings and potentially hold down the top spot on the depth chart throughout the season. Minnesota could look to upgrade its depth at the position behind Darnold, with journeyman Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall currently ranking as the Nos. 2 and 3 options, respectively.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Severity of knee injury TBD
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McCarthy (knee) has a tear in his meniscus in his right knee, but the severity of the injury won't be determined until he undergoes surgery, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
McCarthy is set to miss extended time, but an exact timeline "will be something determined during the procedure," according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. If the quarterback is dealing with a small tear, he may be able to address it with a cleanup surgery, but a full repair would mean a longer recovery, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. O'Connell also added that the team will ultimately do "what's best for the long-term health of J.J." Sam Darnold appears set to begin the regular season as the Vikings' starting quarterback.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Expected to undergo knee surgery
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McCarthy (knee) is expected to undergo knee surgery to address a meniscus issue after having an MRI on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
McCarthy reported knee soreness over the weekend, and the MRI he underwent Monday revealed an issue serious enough to require surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that McCarthy will require either a meniscus trim, which would carry a recovery timeline of at least a few weeks, or a repair which could sideline the rookie quarterback multiple months. Even if McCarthy is able to make a rapid return, Sam Darnold now has a clear path to the Week 1 starting gig for Minnesota.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Nursing knee soreness
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McCarthy (knee) is not practicing Monday, and it is unclear if he will travel to Cleveland for joint practices, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
McCarthy excelled during his preseason debut to the tune of two passing touchdowns and 188 yards through the air. The rookie also completed 11 of 17 passes and finished with a 116.8 passer rating. It is unclear how serious his knee soreness is, but it would not be surprising to see the Vikings exercise caution with the 10th overall pick in this year's draft. If McCarthy ultimately misses more practice time, Sam Darnold would presumably get all of the first-team reps while Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall continue competing for the No. 3 role under center.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Two TD passes in pro debut
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McCarthy was 11-for-17 passing for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in Saturday's preseason win over Las Vegas.
McCarthy threw an interception on a rushed throw under pressure on his first drive in his pro debut, but he settled down thereafter and was sharp with a 116.8 passer rating. Most of his production came in the second half against the second- and third-string defense, but he threw nice deep balls on touchdown passes of 45 and 33 yards. Sam Darnold played just the first series on offense as he remains the favorite to start Week 1. However, McCarthy showed he could be a factor earlier rather than later this season.
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Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Set for significant action Saturday
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that McCarthy will get "a significant amount of work" during Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders, but that Sam Darnold will start at quarterback, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
McCarthy may or may not get a chance to work with the first-team offense after Darnold on Saturday, but in any case it sounds like the rookie first-round pick will get plenty of opportunities to display his talents. Though McCarthy has ceded the majority of first-team reps to Darnold to start training camp, the expectation is for that split to grow more even as the regular season approaches. Darnold remains the favorite to start Week 1 against the Giants, but a strong preseason showing by McCarthy on Saturday could make that conversation more interesting.
