Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy can’t seem to stay healthy, suffering a hand injury that knocked him out of the team’s Week 16 contest against the New York Giants.
Sports doctor David J. Chao predicted in the aftermath of the injury that McCarthy might have broken a bone in his throwing hand, which would mean the end of his 2025 campaign.
“The worry is for a metacarpal fracture. Hope not. Look, that would mean surgery. He’d miss some time, and really the end of the season now,” Chao said. “Hopefully it’s a minor issue, but the worry is for a metacarpal fracture on the throwing hand of JJ McCarthy.”
Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer stepped in for McCarthy to finish out the contest against the Giants and led Minnesota (7-8) to a three-point win. But after a disastrous beginning to Brosmer’s NFL career, which included four interceptions against the Seattle Seahawks in his first-ever start, he isn’t an acceptable first option if McCarthy suffers more injury problems in 2026.
Minnesota’s coaching staff and front office are likely already weighing options for either veteran insurance behind McCarthy and/or competition for the QB1 spot come training camp next summer.
One likely available option is former Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields, currently of the New York Jets.
Justin Fields Can Offer Suitable Short-Term Solution, Allow Vikings to Buy Time With JJ McCarthy
GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the New York Jets.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic linked Fields to the Vikings, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts, when predicting on December 19 that the Jets will release the 26-year-old quarterback come the spring.
“Fields, who turns 27 in March, was benched this season. Assuming the Jets release him this offseason, he’ll have earned $30 million for his New York cameo,” Howe wrote. “At the very least, it’s fair to ask if Fields has ever been put in the best position to succeed. … Fields should seek out the Kansas City Chiefs, Colts or Vikings.”
Fields can offer Minnesota a short-term solution to its concerns around McCarthy without having to commit big money to a second quarterback or bailing on McCarthy after just nine starts as a pro. McCarthy will enter the third season of his four-year rookie contract in 2026, after which the Vikings will have the choice to exercise a fifth-year option on his deal for the 2028 campaign.
JJ McCarthy Has Sustained 4 Serious Injuries in 2-Year Vikings Career
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy is just 22 years old, but his latest injury is only the most recent incident in a troubling injury trend over his first two NFL seasons.
He missed all of his rookie campaign in 2024 with a knee injury that demanded two surgeries to repair. McCarthy then suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 of this season, which cost him five starts.
McCarthy returned and authored an impressive road victory over the Detroit Lions. However, the team lost its next three games, with the offense averaging just 14 points per contest over that stretch.
He sustained a concussion and sat out for one game, in which Brosmer started against Seattle and struggled mightily. McCarthy returned and put up solid back-to-back performances in two wins before hurting his hand, and potentially ending his season, against the Giants on Sunday.
Should he fail to return over the final two weeks of the year, McCarthy will finish his second season with a 5-4 record as the starter, 1,450 passing yards, 11 TDs and 12 INTs.
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