One motto for the Minnesota Vikings this year could read something like: Things could always be going better with quarterback JJ McCarthy.
Currently, however, they could also be considerably worse.
Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday, December 23 that McCarthy has a broken bone in his throwing hand and will sit out his seventh game of the year on Christmas Day.
“Vikings QB JJ McCarthy underwent further imaging that showed a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, coach Kevin O’Connell said,” Pelissero posted to X. “He’s out Thursday against the [Detroit Lions].”
However, Pelissero added a caveat that put his first bit of news into the best context that one could ever expect for a quarterback with a fracture in the hand he uses to both grip and throw the football.
“O’Connell said McCarthy will not need surgery for the hairline fracture, which he called ‘very small,’” Pelissero continued. “But he’s not expected to go on a short week.”
Max Brosmer Will Replace JJ McCarthy for Second Start of NFL Career
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer.
Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will get his second start of the year in McCarthy’s stead. He filled in for McCarthy last Sunday, coming in during the middle of the contest and completing 7-of-9 passes for 52 yards. Minnesota held off the New York Giants to win by a score of 16-13 and move to 7-8 on the season.
That was a far better performance by Brosmer than he mustered in the first start of his NFL career, which came against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. With McCarthy out due to a concussion, Brosmer went 19-of-30 for 126 yards and four interceptions in a 26-0 loss to one of the league’s top defenses.
Detroit’s defense won’t be as scary, given several serious injuries in the secondary that have accumulated across the course of the season and will result in multiple absences for the matchup on Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Vikings Should Not Risk JJ McCarthy’s Health by Playing Him in Week 18
GettyQuarterback JJ McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
McCarthy may be able to go in Week 18 when the Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers in Minnesota, but there won’t necessarily be much incentive to do so — if any at all.
The Chicago Bears clinched a playoff spot after defeating Green Bay on Saturday night, coupled with the Lions’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Chicago will clinch the division with one win over the last two weeks of the season, or via one Packers’ loss.
So while there is a chance that Green Bay will be playing for something in Week 18, and the Vikings could cast themselves in the role of spoiler, Minnesota has no reason to risk McCarthy’s health further to win a game that will only hurt the team’s draft position next April.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie year with a knee injury. He sat five games early this season with a high-ankle sprain before the concussion knocked him out for one contest against Seattle last month.
The Vikings caught something of a break with the less serious version of the throwing hand injury, with which McCarthy ended up. As it stands, he shouldn’t have to miss a step in his personal training and development following the year, let alone any part the team’s offseason work leading up to training camp.
Minnesota will probably bring in veteran competition for McCarthy in 2026, but can use the next two games to get a real feel for Brosmer and whether or not he should remain part of the quarterback room next year and beyond.
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