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When will J.J. McCarthy return and play? Will J.J. McCarthy be back again this season? Read the latest J.J. McCarthy injury updates and return date for Week 5 (2025).
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) missed his second consecutive week of NFL action in Week 4 due to an injury he sustained in Week 2.
It's been an up-and-down start to his career so far -- his fourth-quarter heroics in Week 1 were met by his equally bad play in Week 2. The Vikings have dealt with plenty of other injury issues, too.
But he's just a first-year player, and there's plenty of time to right the ship yet. But will the polarizing player take the field again in Week 5? When will he return to play? Let's dive in.
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J.J. McCarthy Injury Update
McCarthy suffered an ankle sprain in his second start of his career. While he was able to finish the game, he was later diagnosed with the injury, failed to practice at all in the subsequent two weeks, and was ruled out of both the team's next two contests.
The latest reporting, from Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell, suggests that McCarthy could be ready to return to practice this week. Whether that means he's set to play in Week 5 remains to be seen, but it indicates that he at least would be ready to return in Week 6, at the latest.
Here’s the play @Vikings QB JJ McCarthy was injured on—it’s a high ankle sprain—Sunday night. He told trainers on the sideline, had it taped up afterward, and finished the game.
On the next play, Cris Collinsworth picked up on it … (cont) pic.twitter.com/Gbz2ldN79l
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 16, 2025
He likely suffered the injury on the above play. But there's another angle to this situation -- it's possible that the Vikings will give him extra time to recover in the hopes that at least one of their injured offensive linemen could return to play in the meantime.
Currently, center Ryan Kelly (concussion), right tackle Brian O'Neill (knee), and left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist) are all dealing with injuries. Kelly could return in Week 5, but O'Neill and Jackson will have to wait longer. And the Vikings' offensive line struggled without left tackle Christian Darrisaw, though he's back now.
McCarthy might be more likely to get injured taking a ton of sacks, and perhaps O'Connell wants to protect him from that potentially happening.
J.J. McCarthy Fantasy Football Outlook
It's hard to project how he'll do when he returns. McCarthy scored 23.22 PPR fantasy points in his first game in the NFL, mostly in the fourth quarter, when he accounted for three total touchdowns, including one on the ground. In Week 2, he was simply abysmal.
Against the Falcons, he completed just 11 of his passes for 158 yards, threw two interceptions, was sacked six times, and fumbled the ball three times. One of those was recovered by the defense. The film was not forgiving at all -- he looked wholly unprepared, just like he did for three quarters in Week 1.
If you look at this clip and think “Wentz doesn’t have enough time to hit JJ when he’s wide open 4 yards downfield” and then say “Wentz is better than McCarthy”
You just don’t know ball, and there is no fixing you. pic.twitter.com/YtUBpDEgOY
— Zack (@SkolOfTheWild) September 29, 2025
There is, of course, reason for optimism. O'Connell's offense was criticized for not giving McCarthy enough quick throw options. It could be retooled to help him get the ball out quickly, get the offense in a rhythm, and stop having drives killed by sacks and fumbles.
Minnesota's pass-catching corps consists of elite wide receiver Justin Jefferson, one of the NFL's best WR2s in Jordan Addison, and one of its best tight ends in T.J. Hockenson. When running back Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) comes back from injury, there will be plenty of pass-catching options for short passing plays.
That, combined with McCarthy's rushing upside, could help him be fantasy-viable in most leagues while also being able to settle into his role as the QB1 better. But only time will tell. In deeper leagues, he's worth a bench stash and should still be rostered in all 2QB leagues. Still, it could be a bumpy road ahead all season.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Popular Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
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