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Kevin Seifert
EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has entered the concussion protocol after reporting symptoms on the flight home from Green Bay on Sunday night, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.
It is the third injury suffered by McCarthy in his disastrous first season as the Vikings’ starter, beginning with a high right ankle sprain in Week 2 and a bruised right hand in Week 10. O’Connell did not rule McCarthy out for Sunday’s game at Seattle, but backup Max Brosmer will take first-team reps until McCarthy clears the protocol.
«We’ll go through the steps and phases of it,» O’Connell said. «I am not ready to make any sort of designation for the game or anything like that. We’ll let the process play out, but at the same time, I do think it’s important for everybody to know that there is total transparency. I’m going to totally, totally defer to the medical staff and the professionals on that one as well as J.J.»
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As of Monday afternoon, the Vikings had not pinpointed a particular play in the 23-6 loss to the Packers that caused McCarthy’s symptoms. O’Connell suggested it «had to be late based upon how the game went.» Video of a scramble with 5:01 remaining in the game showed McCarthy remaining on his back for a few seconds after a tackle by Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie. Two teammates eventually helped him up and he jogged back to the huddle.
The emergence of McCarthy’s symptoms coincided with the worst of his six starts this season. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 87 yards, had two interceptions and was sacked five times against the Packers.
McCarthy now ranks last in the NFL in most statistical categories for quarterbacks, including QBR (24.8), completion percentage (54.1) and touchdown/interception ratio (0.6).
The Vikings handed McCarthy the starting job entering the season after deciding against using the franchise tag on 2024 starter Sam Darnold, who signed with the Seahawks and now ranks No. 6 in QBR (69.1). They also failed to re-sign Daniel Jones, who spent the final six weeks of 2024 on their practice squad, and turned away interest from Aaron Rodgers, who was a free agent at the time.
If he sits out Sunday’s game, McCarthy will have missed as many games this season as he has played (six) — all after missing his entire rookie season in 2024 because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. At the very least, those absences have set back his development after the Vikings made him the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft.
«It’s definitely not ideal,» O’Connell said. «And really that phrase can be applied to several stops on the journey so far early on for him, and it’s unfortunate because all you want to do is go back to work.»
Brosmer, an undrafted rookie who spent his college career at New Hampshire and the University of Minnesota, ascended to the No. 2 job in Week 9 after veteran backup Carson Wentz decided to undergo season-ending surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Brosmer caught O’Connell’s eye at Minnesota’s Pro Day, and he earned consistent praise in training camp for his accuracy and quick decision-making.
O’Connell on Monday referred to Brosmer’s top attribute as «seeing things at a veteran-level type of eye progression.»
«I think we all have a lot of confidence in Max,» O’Connell said. «Ideally you’d love to have a bunch of runway for him to continue on his journey, but I know Max will prepare like crazy like he does every week. He’s been a snap away here since Carson went on IR, and I know he feels very much prepared if called upon and he’s going to go about the week as he’s been doing.»
If Brosmer starts Sunday, he will be the seventh different quarterback to make a start for the Vikings since Kirk Cousins tore his right Achilles tendon midway through the 2023 season. The Vikings would presumably elevate veteran quarterback John Wolford from the practice squad to serve as Brosmer’s backup.
