J.J. McCarthy Is Injured — Here’s What We Know
The Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants faced each other in Week 16. Despite the team’s elimination, J.J. McCarthy’s injury dominated postgame discussions around the league, as he now awaits further evaluation.
McCarthy Picks Up Another Injury
The second-year player jammed his hand on a defender’s helmet late in the first half. He remained in the game until fumbling the ball on a strip sack. McCarthy then went to the locker room in the final seconds of that first half and never returned to the game. Max Brosmer finished the game against the New York Giants.
But the major question is whether McCarthy will be available for one or both of the remaining matchups on the 2025 schedule, both against division competition with the Lions and Packers coming to U.S. Bank Stadium.
After the game, Kevin O’Connell said at the post-game presser, “The only information I have at this point is that X-rays were negative. But obviously, the hand, there’s a lot going on there, so I don’t wanna speculate one way or the other. Just crossing our fingers that we’ll have him back out there.”
McCarthy has only four days of recovery in a short week, which will continue with Thursday’s Christmas game against the Lions.
O’Connell also made sure folks knew McCarthy didn’t suffer the injury on his fumble play. “Apparently, it happened before his touchdown run. I asked him if he was alright and he said he was. Then, when he went out for the next drive, that’s when he seemed to have some discomfort there. So we’ll evaluate it and make sure we find out what’s going on there.”
Here’s the play where it might have happened.
Hitting another player’s helmet isn’t uncommon for quarterbacks, O’Connell — once a college and NFL quarterback in his own right — confirmed.
“Quarterbacks hit their hands all the time, whether it’s helmets or other defenders and things like that. It happened to me in college and I didn’t even know I had a significant injury until the next time I took a snap.”
Earlier in the season, McCarthy also suffered a hand injury on a comparable play. He was limited in one practice session and played the following game. The sophomore also missed his rookie season with a knee injury, as well as ending up on ice with an ankle injury and a concussion this year. So far, he has played in nine regular-season games, missing 23 with injuries.
After leaving Sunday’s game, McCarthy was in visible pain on the sideline.
On what would be his final play, McCarthy held on to the ball on a screen pass and got hit from behind by a Giants defender. The subsequent fumble led to a return touchdown. It was the only touchdown the Giants would score on Sunday.
The injury is unfortunate because it once again stopped McCarthy’s momentum. He showed flashes of excellent quarterback play in the previous two games, and even his performance against the Giants had its highs.
“It is unfortunate,” O’Connell commented. “These last three weeks, really two and a half weeks or so, outside of that last play of the half there, he’s looked like he’s really found a place of decisiveness, ownership of the offense. So yeah, it’s a bummer, just because I’m having a blast coaching him and seeing the growth.”
Before exiting, the 2024 tenth overall pick completed nine of 14 passes for 108 yards and one interception. A beautiful would-be touchdown pass to Jordan Addison was dropped. He scored his fourth rushing touchdown, though.
McCarthy will undergo further evaluation on Monday. O’Connell will skip his usual Monday presser because of the short week and talk to the media on Tuesday. That’s likely when he’ll release the next update on McCarthy’s status.
It’ll be either J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer on Thursday.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.