The J.J. McCarthy Update Is Better Than Expected

J.J. McCarthy suffered a hairline hand fracture in Week 16 at the New York Giants, causing most to believe that he’d probably miss the remainder of the season. But the youngster showed up at practice on Wednesday and has a real chance to play this weekend in the final game of the year against the Green Bay Packers.

A healthier outlook for McCarthy changes the Week 18 purpose and the evaluation timeline.

Believe it or not, it’s an important development for McCarthy, who must prove he can reduce durability concerns and bank much-needed reps on the field.

McCarthy’s Possible Return Alters the Week 18 Stakes

McCarthy could play in Week 18 after all.

McCarthy Practices on Wednesday

Some expected a DNP (did not practice) from McCarthy to start the week, but it did not go down that way. McCarthy logged a limited practice, keeping the door open to start against the Packers on Sunday.

Star Tribune‘sBen Goessling tweeted, “J.J. McCarthy said he’s still day to day, and was limited today, but he felt good throwing. He didn’t have any extra padding on his hand at the end of practice.”

The rest of the week will feature a waiting game to see if McCarthy is upgraded to a full participant on Thursday and Friday — or if this little mystery will bleed into the weekend with a Questionable designation.

O’Connell on McCarthy

Before the practice session, O’Connell spoke with reporters, who predictably asked about McCarthy’s chances of playing this weekend.

“He got out there with the trainers Tuesday and had a really positive throwing session, so he’s going to take part in practice today. Coming out of it, we will see if there are any restrictions or issues before working into another day tomorrow. But we’re at the point now, after his positive day yesterday, getting on the field today for practice, and we’ll see how it goes,” O’Connell said.

A couple of hours later, the practice from McCarthy lined up with O’Connell’s statements, increasing his odds of playing in a game that will determine if Minnesota finishes 2025 with a winning or losing record.

No Time to Shut the Guy Down

McCarthy is short on snaps. He just is.

Two years into his NFL life, he has nine starts across 33 eligible games. That’s the sad math. He has watched more than he has played, missing roughly three-quarters of Minnesota’s games since draft night. At some point, his development would just stall completely if the injuries didn’t let up.

Quarterbacks learn through consequence, not clipboard hours. McCarthy, unfortunately, does not gain anything by watching from the sidelines. He had a year to do that as a rookie.

Minnesota doesn’t need another evaluation cycle built on practice reps and hypothetical growth curves. The front office needs evidence, and McCarthy needs reps. The only way to find out whether he belongs in the 2026 QB1 conversation is to let him absorb real games, like the one in front of him on Sunday.

A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness noted on McCarthy’s stakes in Week 18, “Having McCarthy return feels, on the surface, like it’s a bad idea. Playing with a broken throwing hand in the final game of the season, where there is nothing to play for but pride, doesn’t make much sense. However, getting meaningful experience is huge for the second-year quarterback with just nine starts to his name.”

“It isn’t just meaningful for McCarthy, it’s huge for the Vikings organization. They need to figure out how to move forward at quarterback. Of a possible 34 regular-season and playoff games, McCarthy has missed 25 of them, and it could get to a point where his lack of availability transcends O’Connell’s comments about organizations failing young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”

For curious minds, McCarthy has missed 73% of all eligible starts since being drafted in April 2024.

“Getting out there on Sunday, albeit against a depleted Packers defense, would give the Vikings more information to make their decision for the offseason, and it could be critical for McCarthy’s future. Missing the game could make the decision for the Vikings,’ Forness added.

A Reason to Watch a Meaningless Game

McCarthy would add some Tabasco sauce to Sunday’s showdown.

Without him, the Vikings would rely on Max Brosmer, who has played pitifully in two starts this season. Meanwhile, Green Bay is expected to rest some or all of its starters, as its playoff spot is already sewn up. Week 18 doesn’t mean anything to either team in the confines of the standings, with a side note of Minnesota hoping to end 2025 with a winning record.

Tuning it to watch another Brosmer disasterclass does not sound like ideal entertainment. But seeing McCarthy take more developmental steps would have some appeal.

The point spread moved about a point in the Vikings’ direction after McCarthy practiced Wednesday. It seems Vegas tentatively expects him to give it a go.