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Carson Wentz’s 2025 NFL season has ended, putting the Minnesota Vikings in a difficult position with their veteran quarterback out of action. Attention now turns to J.J. McCarthy, who must step up and prove he can fulfill the promise that made him Minnesota’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy, who has been dealing with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 2, is expected to play on November 2 against the Detroit Lions. Before the second-year quarterback’s return, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke about where McCarthy’s mindset is. “J.J. is in a good spot,” O’Connell told KFAN’s Paul Allen. “He had some really good work [on October 27] and should get a full week of preparation. He finally feels truly ready to go be himself—not just in his ability to function at the position, but also in the things J.J. “McCarthy can bring to our offense: his mobility and his ability to protect himself, which comes from playing with great timing and rhythm from the pocket. He also has the ability to create and do some things off the schedule of the play.” Does Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Have Pressure on Him? NBC Sports’ Mike Florio believes the moment of truth has arrived for McCarthy, with no veteran backup to lean on for the Vikings. Last season, Minnesota relied on Sam Darnold, and this year it was Wentz, but with him out, the spotlight now falls squarely on the second-year quarterback. “It’s time to see what J.J. McCarthy can do or not do,“ Florio said on the October 28 edition of “Pro Football Talk.“ “Let’s just see. You got to figure it out because if you made a mistake, you got to do what the Colts did and admit it. “You still have J.J. McCarthy under contract for two more years. I’m not suggesting cutting him, but you go find a Daniel Jones and you try not to obsess over the fact that you had Daniel Jones and you let him get away.” Can the Vikings Reach the Playoffs? With McCarthy likely back for the matchup against the Lions, the Vikings hold a 3-4 record, leaving questions about their playoff chances after Wentz’s injury. Wilson admitted he isn’t feeling optimistic about where the team stands at the season’s midpoint. “This ain’t where you want to be at the midway point of the season,“ Wilson said on the October 27 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.” “No doubt about it. And again, last year this time, we were having conversations about Sam Darnold as the MVP, which is sort of funny to say, but he played that well. That team played that well. “The other thing to keep in mind is that the Brian Flores defense hasn’t looked quite like the Brian Flores defense we saw a year ago. They’ve been exposed at times, most recently on Thursday night, where we saw the offensive line, which has also struggled with injuries. We saw Carson Wentz take another beating that led to him landing on IR. “But you compound the issues with the offensive line struggling to stay healthy and then the defense not playing at the level that it played at a year ago. And you take that all together with a young and/or rookie quarterback, should Max Brosmer have to play. And this is where you find yourself, and there’s very little room for error.”
