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By Cole Sullivan
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J.J. McCarthy’s first season as the full-time starter with the Minnesota Vikings, after being drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, certainly had its fair share of highs and lows.
The Vikings are currently 8–8 heading into their Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. After missing Week 17 with a wrist injury, McCarthy is set to return and make his final start of the 2025–26 campaign.
This season, across nine games, McCarthy has completed 57.3% of his passes for 1,450 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 174 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
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He’s battled injuries and endured some poor stretches, but after missing his entire rookie season, McCarthy’s nine starts this year represent his only professional starts. That means he’s still very early in his career, and it appears the Vikings aren’t ready to make any sudden changes just yet.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Vikings plan to keep McCarthy for the 2026 season. That said, they are expected to explore veteran options at the position, meaning McCarthy could be forced to compete for the starting job depending on who they land this offseason.
The Vikings are not far removed from being one of the best teams in the NFC. Just last season, they finished 14–3, tied for the second-best record in the NFL. They were forced to go on the road in the first round of the playoffs because the best record in the NFC was held by a divisional foe, the Detroit Lions, who went 15–2.
However, leading that Vikings team at quarterback while McCarthy was injured was Sam Darnold, who departed in free agency and signed a long-term deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Darnold could now lead Seattle to the No. 1 overall seed with a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night, while Minnesota has already been eliminated from playoff contention.
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