After missing his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus, J.J. McCarthy finally took some meaningful snaps in 2025—just not as many as Kevin O'Connell would have liked.
First, the 22-year-old missed five games early in the season after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. Then, after suffering a concussion in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers, he was forced to sit out the Vikings' Week 13 matchup with Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks.
In Week 16, facing the New York Giants, McCarthy was forced to exit after suffering a small hairline fracture in his throwing hand, an ailment that forced him to miss Minnesota's Week 17 date with the Detroit Lions.