Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was unavailable for Friday's preseason game at the Denver Broncos because of an ankle injury he suffered last weekend against the Baltimore Ravens.
"We hoped to get him turned over," coach Kevin O'Connell said after the Vikings' 34-6 loss to the Broncos. "The goal was to have him start the game tonight and try to get him a half if we could. ... We just couldn't get him there."
Asked where McCarthy stood on the Vikings depth chart following the end of the preseason, O'Connell said: "We're going to work through that as a staff and see where he's at from a health standpoint first and foremost. We don't have any long-term concerns. Still consider him day to day and we'll see what that looks like."
Starter Kyler Murray was previously scheduled to sit out, along with most of the Vikings' front-line players. That left veteran Carson Wentz and second-year quarterback Max Brosmer as the available quarterbacks in Denver.
McCarthy's injury prompted coach Kevin O'Connell to remove him earlier than expected from the Ravens game. O'Connell said earlier this week that he hoped McCarthy could start against the Broncos to get more game reps before the regular season begins.
Instead, McCarthy told team officials that he did not feel comfortable enough to play.
Although mild, the injury is another in a long list of ailments that has cost McCarthy playing time since the Vikings made him the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft. He missed his entire rookie season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee and played only 10 games in 2025 because of a high right ankle sprain and a concussion. He left two of his starts early because of a hairline fracture in his right thumb.
Upon naming Murray the starter, O'Connell said McCarthy would be his primary backup. But after last weekend's injury, which coincided with McCarthy missing two open receivers for potential touchdowns, O'Connell indicated that the No. 2 job was competitive between McCarthy and Wentz.
