The Minnesota Vikings turned to Max Brosmer last weekend in what was his NFL Debut. The former Minnesota Gophers quarterback assumed the role with Carson Wentz out for the year and J.J. McCarthy not cleared from a concussion suffered against the Green Bay Packers.
Things didn’t go well for Brosmer and the Vikings as they dropped to a 4-8 record on the season. Kevin O’Connell has five games left to evaluate his 2025 outfit, and getting McCarthy live reps is an integral part of that.
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He took steps forward earlier in the week, and Wednesday’s practice report brought the greatest news yet.
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JJ McCarthy one day from clearing concussion protocol
There is no denying that J.J. McCarthy has not played to the level that the Minnesota Vikings planned on. However, being on the field is half the battle. After a full practice on Wednesday, he is on the doorstep of clearing concussion protocol.
The offensive line remains in flux after the first practice of the week, but McCarthy is trending in a positive direction. He needs to go through final testing with no symptoms on Thursday in order to be cleared.
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If McCarthy gets a clean bill of health and the all clear, he’ll be under center on Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings host the Washington Commanders. It remains to be seen who will be under center for the opposition with Marcus Mariota having started for the injured Jayden Daniels.
McCarthy has played in just six games this year after missing multiple weeks with an ankle injury. The 2024 first round pick has completed just 54.1% of his passes and owns a 6/10 TD/INT ratio. There’s a lot of room for improvement, but we saw it can get worse last weekend.
There is little for Minnesota to play for as they face elimination from the playoffs with a loss or tie on Sunday. However, if McCarthy can show legitimate improvement to close out the year, things will look less dire in 2026 and beyond.
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