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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy stretches during a team training camp practice on July 28 in Eagan, Minn. (AP file photo)<\/p>\n
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 The emotions hit J.J. McCarthy just before he took the field for the Minnesota Vikings.<\/p>\n
One day shy of the one-year anniversary of the quarterback\u2019s rookie season being ended by a torn meniscus in his right knee, McCarthy was back.<\/p>\n
Finally.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a little teardrop, I\u2019m not going to lie,\u201d McCarthy said after the Vikings\u2019 20-10 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday. \u201cBeing out there before the national anthem. This game is the best game in the world and to be out there with this kind of group, with this coaching staff \u2026 it was absolutely terrific.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former Michigan Wolverines signal caller![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/8-12-2b-BW-vikes-mccarthy-565x500.jpg\")
played just the game\u2019s opening series. But he was 4 of 7 for 30 yards while leading Minnesota on a 58-yard scoring drive that was capped by Will Reichard\u2019s 48-yard field goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was actually getting kind of emotional last night,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cIt\u2019s just the journey any injured player goes on to being back out there doing the thing that they love. It was really special (today), for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
After receiving a rousing ovation from the home crowd as he stepped under center for the first time, McCarthy completed his first four passes, three to Jordan Addison, who made a sliding grab for an 18-yard gain on one. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick last year out of Michigan, also ran 8 yards for a first down on fourth-and-4 at the Texans 43.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the fact that we were able to execute and hit an explosive in the play-pass game,\u201d head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell said of the drive. \u201cI love the fact that we converted some third downs. I loved the fact that on fourth down, he used his legs to steal one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a level of composure and poise to how he ran the show today that was exactly what I was looking for. And now we go back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The work resumes when the Vikings hold two days of joint practices with the New England Patriots this week, and McCarthy said there is still plenty he can improve on.<\/p>\n
With Sam Darnold under center, the Vikings finished the regular season last year 14-3 before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs. But Darnold departed for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason in free agency and O\u2019Connell has turned the offense over to McCarthy.<\/p>\n
McCarthy was replaced by backup Sam Howell when Minnesota\u2019s offense took the field for its second possession.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n
AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy stretches during a team training camp practice on July 28 in Eagan, Minn.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281892,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[54115,54113,54114,7,46450,233,259,2529,6,234],"class_list":{"0":"post-281891","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-ex-wolverine-mccarthy-returns-to-field-for-vikings","9":"tag-ex-wolverine-mccarthy-returns-to-field-for-vikingsnational-sports","10":"tag-ex-wolverine-mccarthy-returns-to-field-for-vikingssports","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-michigan-sports","13":"tag-minnesota","14":"tag-minnesota-vikings","15":"tag-minnesotavikings","16":"tag-nfl","17":"tag-vikings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115015228565968253","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}