Starting Vikes QB J.J. McCarthy was just lost for the season with a nasty new injury. That begs the question of whether he’ll be ready for Week 18 vs. the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy had some egg on his face in the second quarter of last Sunday’s blowout win against the New York Giants. He exited the game after punching his right hand into the helmet of defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris. As a consequence, he missed the entire second half of the thrilling 16-13 win over Indiana.
The injury is the seventh game that McCarthy has missed this year, prompting criticism of his playing style and concerns about his health. In 2021, Kevin Seifert warned that McCarthy’s approach to calling plays during games was misguided. To prevent similar injury to more people, he argues that McCarthy needs to take a different tack. This unusual incident adds personal tragedy to what has been a challenging fishing season, especially for McCarthy. He’s dealt with a handful, specifically a right high ankle sprain that sidelined him for five contests earlier this season. He’s missed a sixth game, spending time in concussion protocol.
Sophomore Max Brosmer will take over as the starting quarterback during McCarthy’s absence. In the short and long term, Brosmer has been elevated to the starting role at a crucial time. The team is preparing for their last regular season meeting with their arch-feuding rivals from Green Bay, the Packers. The coaching staff believes Brosmer is the type of player who can help keep the team buzzing after a big conference win last Friday.
Postgame locker room, with McCarthy wearing a latex glove over his injured shooting hand. This unmistakably illustrates that he is receiving proper medical treatment for the severe and grotesque injury. The video review confirmed that the injury happened on a red zone play, when he joined the collision with Robertson-Harris. This led to immediate alarm regarding his health situation.
Given that this is the third separate injury McCarthy has had this season, this current injury is especially worrisome. Earlier in his career, he suffered a major blow. After suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee, he ended up missing his entire 2024 rookie season. Whether or not it’s fair, the series of injuries make people question his durability and long-term viability as a starting quarterback.
As the Cowboys’ coaching staff and players prepare to face Green Bay in their next game, McCarthy’s situation hangs in the balance. The coaching staff will closely monitor his recovery process in hopes of determining whether he can return to action soon. Whether the Vikes replace Thiel or stand pat, they’ll need to think long and hard about how to proceed given the precariousness of their ongoing roster crunch.
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