#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy said he had a “little tear drop” right before todays National Anthem in his first game back since last year:
“This game is the best game in the world.”pic.twitter.com/GoBbgRt6vR
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 10, 2025
The weight of Saturday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans wasn’t lost on J.J. McCarthy. It was his first live game action in 364 days, when he had torn his meniscus against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Following the 20-10 win on Saturday, McCarthy told reporters that he went to bed the night before reflecting on his journey to get to this spot.
“It was just the journey that any injured player goes on to be back out there and doing the thing that they love,” McCarthy said, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “It just shows how much I care for this game.”
It didn’t just weigh on him emotionally. McCarthy added that he had “a little teardrop” during the national anthem.
He didn’t play perfectly during his first and only drive, but he did complete 4/7 passes for 23 yards and ran for an 8-yard scramble on 4th-and-4. He may not have many preseason snaps the rest of this season, but it was important to get the emotions out of the way on Saturday before the Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears.