Tag: JJ McCarthy

QB J.J. McCarthy out (hand) vs. Lions

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions with a hairline fracture in his right hand, head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Tuesday.

McCarthy appeared to injure his hand near the end of the first half of Sunday’s 16-13 win over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J., and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. He was hit hard by Giants pass rusher Brian Burns and fumbled the ball. Giants safety Tyler Nubin returned the fumble for a touchdown.

Further imaging beyond an initial X-ray showed what O’Connell called “a very, very small hairline fracture.”

The Vikings coach said he did not think the injury would require surgery.

“Recovery is kind of similar to a bone bruise,” O’Connell said.

Whether McCarthy, the Vikings’ first-year starter, plays in the final week of the season — a visit from the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 4 — will be determined at a later date.

“He’s dialed in,” O’Connell said. “He wants to stay 100 percent locked and loaded in the hopes of returning next week, hopefully. But obviously we’re gonna be smart with him and see where it takes it.”

This marks the third time this season McCarthy will have missed time with an injury. He missed five games after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2, returning a week earlier than initially anticipated. He then sat out a sixth game while in concussion protocol following a Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

He also missed all of last season due to surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee.

O’Connell had high praise for the 22-year-old out of Michigan amid the injuries.

“I’ve been really, really happy and proud of the way J.J. — through the kind of final stanza of the season here — has really, really took some big steps and grown, and it’s been a blast being with him every day and kind of being along that ride with him,” O’Connell said.

“Although we’ve lost time to continue that throughout the season, and we’re experiencing it again here on a fast opportunity-type short week, that doesn’t take away from the growth we’ve seen from J.J.”

McCarthy completed 9 of 14 passes for 108 yards and an interception Sunday before his injury. He also ran for a 12-yard touchdown with two minutes left in the first half.

Overall, McCarthy has passed for 1,450 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in nine games this season. He also has rushed for four scores.

Following the injury, he was replaced by rookie Max Brosmer, who O’Connell said will start the Christmas Day matchup against the Lions in Minneapolis.

–Field Level Media

Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA;Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Vikings QB Carson Wentz (shoulder) placed on IR

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz has been placed on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury, the team announced Monday.

Wentz, who replaced J.J. McCarthy after he sustained a high-ankle sprain in Week 2, started the last five games for Minnesota. He appeared to be in obvious pain during Thursday’s 37-10 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers, getting sacked five times and hit eight times in the loss.

Late in the game, Wentz was shown on the sideline, visibly frustrated, throwing his helmet to the turf.

Wentz is set to have season-ending surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder, according to multiple media reports.

The 32-year-old, who was the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, is on his sixth team in the last six seasons. After spending his first five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Wentz has been a mercenary of sorts since, starting 31 games over the last five seasons for the Indianapolis Colts (2021), Washington Commanders (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023), Kansas City Chiefs (2024) and Vikings.

After signing with Minnesota Aug. 24, he went 2-3 with 1,216 passing yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Over 10 NFL seasons, Wentz has started 99 games and thrown for 23,626 yards, 159 touchdowns and 72 interceptions.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell talked last week about this week’s game against the Detroit Lions (5-2) for McCarthy. Minnesota (3-4) now needs McCarthy available, or it will be forced to start rookie Max Brosmer on Sunday in hostile territory.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) walks for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 3 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. The Colts won 41-14.

Report: Vikings sign QB Desmond Ridder with JJ McCarthy ailing

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Minnesota Vikings are adding depth to the quarterback position by signing veteran free agent Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster, the NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

Starter J.J. McCarthy is week-to-week with a high ankle sprain, with veteran Carson Wentz is set to start and rookie Max Brosmer his backup before Ridder’s arrival.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed Ridder, 26, in July and released him on Aug. 26.

The Atlanta Falcons selected Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati.

Ridder went 2-2 as a starter as a rookie, then 6-7 in his second season in Atlanta. He lost his only start while making six appearances for the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

His career totals are 374-of-588 passing (63.6 percent) for 4,002 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 25 games (18 starts). He also rushed for five touchdowns with the Falcons in 2023.

The Vikings on Sunday host the Bengals, who lost starting quarterback Joe Burrow (turf toe) last Sunday against Jacksonville.

Cincinnati bolstered the depth behind new starter Jake Browning by elevating Brett Rypien from the practice squad and signing Sean Clifford and Mike White to the practice squad on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

Jul 29, 2025; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) takes part in drills during the teams training camp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy expected to play in preseason opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The J.J. McCarthy era will begin on Saturday, as the Minnesota Vikings plan to play the quarterback against the Houston Texans in the team’s preseason opener.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed McCarthy’s return to action, a year after the QB suffered a right knee injury in Minnesota’s first game of the 2024 preseason. O’Connell, though, did not specify how many reps McCarthy would see not only in Saturday’s matchup but also the remainder of the preseason.

“You’d love to play him as much as possible,” O’Connell said, “but I think with those two days of joint practice [with the Patriots], and the type of reps that the other guys on the offense will get from a physicality and workload standpoint, we’ll more than likely use those two days as our real days.

“Obviously, that’s subject to change based upon on how those go, how we feel coming out of those. If we need to get a little more work, we will. Then we’ll assess that final preseason game as it comes.”

After passing for 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the national championship in his final season, McCarthy underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus that sidelined him for his entire rookie campaign. A second procedure was performed a few months later to address swelling.

Now, McCarthy sits atop the depth chart and has taken every practice snap with the first team.

–Field Level Media

Jun 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings first round draft pick J.J. McCarthy throws out the ceremonial first pitch in a game between the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Vikings HC: QB1 role not yet earned; vetting Aaron Rodgers was no-brainer

Posted on | by Field Level Media

When the 2025 regular season begins, the Minnesota Vikings envision J.J. McCarthy as their QB1.

But as head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the NFL’s annual spring meeting on Monday in West Palm Beach, Fla., that prominent distinction has yet to be earned.

“I feel really, really positive about the path we’re going to take with J.J. from a development standpoint, from an acceleration of reps,” O’Connell said. “And he’s going to benefit from an offseason worth of reps from the offseason program to obviously training camp and being in a competitive situation when our quarterback room is all finalized.”

Even as the Vikings entertained signing free agent Aaron Rodgers, O’Connell was in touch with McCarthy in “borderline real time” to apprise him of any developments. Rodgers, who remains unsigned, has maintained contact with O’Connell since their playing days and made the initial contact with Minnesota after he was released by the New York Jets.

O’Connell said the Vikings have high expectations for McCarthy but decided, as a franchise, they didn’t want to resist vetting Rodgers as an option to safeguard McCarthy.

“… Aaron Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and somebody who, not just myself, but we’ve all had so much respect for competing against him,” O’Connell explained. “And he happened to be at a point in time in his career where he was free to have some real dialogue about what his future may look like. And we happened to be one of those teams that he reached out to.”

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made it clear the preferred outcome of the offseason shuffling at the quarterback position would be McCarthy stepping into the starting role. He was essentially a professional redshirt in 2024 after being drafted 10th overall because of a post-draft knee surgery, and Sam Darnold went 14-3 to put the Vikings in the NFC playoffs as a wild card.

McCarthy took mostly “visual reps” but was in quarterback meetings and game-planning sessions to become intricately familiar with O’Connell’s communication style, expectations and vast offensive playbook.

“I think it’s a responsibility for me as the playcaller to make sure I’m building rapport in addition to demanding a standard of the position from a very early time here with J.J. that I think he’s going to meet, and challenge himself to meet, on a daily basis,” O’Connell said. “Very much excited to see him do that.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh (center) celebrates with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and running back Blake Corum (2) after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, RB Blake Corum declare for NFL draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum announced over social media on Sunday that they are entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

McCarthy is skipping his senior season to enter the draft. Corum had another year of eligibility due to an additional year being granted for players who were on rosters in the pandemic year.

“After three incredible years at the University of Michigan, I have decided to enter the 2024 NFL Draft,” McCarthy wrote. “I have talked to many in and out of football, including my family, Coach (Jim) Harbaugh, and many who’s opinions I greatly admire and respect. This decision was not easy and how could it be — I love my teammates. I love my coaches and I love it here in Ann Arbor.”

McCarthy’s announcement came one day before the deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft. The 2024 NFL Draft is April 25-27 in Detroit.

McCarthy guided the Wolverines to a 15-0 season, capped off with a national championship following a 34-13 win over Washington last Monday.

Named the Big Ten’s Quarterback of the Year, McCarthy completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He owns a 27-1 record as a starter at Michigan.

Corum rushed for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns during his senior season in 2023. He was named the offensive MVP in the title game versus the Huskies.

“Michigan, thank you for everything!!” Corum wrote on social media. “Onto the next chapter in my journey!! #2024nfldraft”

–Field Level Media