Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy expected to play in preseason opener

The J.J. McCarthy era will begin on Saturday, as the Minnesota Vikings plan to play the quarterback against the Houston Texans in the team's preseason opener.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed McCarthy's return to action, a year after the QB suffered a right knee injury in Minnesota's first game of the 2024 preseason. O'Connell, though, did not specify how many reps McCarthy would see not only in Saturday's matchup but also the remainder of the preseason.

"You'd love to play him as much as possible," O'Connell said, "but I think with those two days of joint practice [with the Patriots], and the type of reps that the other guys on the offense will get from a physicality and workload standpoint, we'll more than likely use those two days as our real days.

"Obviously, that's subject to change based upon on how those go, how we feel coming out of those. If we need to get a little more work, we will. Then we'll assess that final preseason game as it comes."

After passing for 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the national championship in his final season, McCarthy underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus that sidelined him for his entire rookie campaign. A second procedure was performed a few months later to address swelling.

Now, McCarthy sits atop the depth chart and has taken every practice snap with the first team.

--Field Level Media