Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand in Week 16, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. He’ll miss this Thursday’s game against the Lions as a result.
McCarthy will not require surgery, but his status for Week 18 is in question, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced (via Matthew Coller). With that in mind, it’s possible McCarthy’s season is over.
McCarthy went 9 for 14 for 108 yards and an interception before exiting early in a 16-13 win over the Giants last Sunday. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer finished the game. He’ll start in Week 17 against a Detroit team clinging to slim playoff hopes.
Brosmer made the first start of his career in Week 13 in Seattle, which trounced Minnesota 26-0. The Seahawks picked off Brosmer four times and held him to 126 yards on 19 of 30 passing.
This is the latest in a growing line of injuries for McCarthy, a former Michigan national champion whom the Vikings chose 10th overall in 2024. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after tearing his right meniscus. The Vikings had a capable veteran on hand in Sam Darnold, who enjoyed a long-awaited breakthrough season. Although Minnesota finished an excellent 14-3, the team let Darnold walk in free agency in the wake of a blowout loss to the Rams in the wild-card round.
After inking a three-year, $100.5MM deal with the Seahawks, Darnold has transferred his 2024 success to Seattle. He has been among the NFL’s most effective signal-callers for the second year in a row, and the Seahawks are currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Meanwhile, thanks in part to subpar QB play, the Vikings are 7-8 and out of playoff contention. The team tried last offseason to retain Daniel Jones, who ended 2024 as a Darnold backup, but he took a lesser offer from the Colts. Jones’ thinking was he’d have a clearer path to playing time in Indianapolis, which proved true.
The Vikings entered the season committed to McCarthy, though they added a credible No. 2 in Carson Wentz in late August. McCarthy’s run as their starter hasn’t gone according to plan so far. The 22-year-old already missed a combined six games with a high ankle sprain and a concussion before going down with a hand injury. When healthy, McCarthy has completed just 57.3% of throws with 6.6 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 71.2 passer rating. His 33.9 QBR ranks 31st among 32 qualifying signal-callers. Wentz out-performed McCarthy before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in late October.
Considering McCarthy’s on-field struggles and expansive injury history, the Vikings may require him to compete for the starting job in 2026. Depending how aggressive the Vikings are in looking for a quarterback in the offseason, the aforementioned Daniel Jones, Wentz, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Flacco are among pending free agents or trade candidates who could pique the interest of O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.