The Minnesota Vikings have a quick turnaround week as they will play the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day. Moreover, with J.J. McCarthy set to miss the contest, other players will join him after the team announced its injury report on December 24.
Minnesota will be without its starting offensive lineman, Ryan Kelly, who will miss the contest due to his concussion. Meanwhile, running back Jordan Mason will also miss the game against the Lions after suffering an ankle injury in the win over the New York Giants.
Finally, tight end T.J. Hockenson won’t be in the starting lineup as a shoulder injury will keep him out. While he’s not ruled out, offensive lineman Brian O’Neill was listed as questionable for the game against Detroit. As a result, the Vikings could have two starting players on their offensive line for rookie backup Max Brosmer.
Vikings Don’t Hold Back on Latest J.J. McCarthy Injury
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said December 23 that McCarthy will not play on Christmas Day against the Lions. The move sets up Brosmer to start, though O’Connell acknowledged the frustration of seeing the Michigan product sidelined for another game this season.
“It’s just a bummer,” O’Connell said (h/t ESPN). “It’s been really fun. … I know the week-to-week judgment of players and decisions and all these things that are noise in many cases, I understand it all. But the most fun part of this, and the most real part of it, is coaching the young player on his journey where we’ve really started to see, kind of, some things click for him.”
After struggling for a good part of the season, McCarthy seemed to have started to turn his situation around after returning from his concussion. Nonetheless, after suffering a “very, very small hairline fracture“ in his right hand, McCarthy must overcome another hurdle. It will be interesting to see whether the Vikings play him in the final game of the season or shut him down and start preparing for the offseason.
Vikings Have Positive 2026 Outlook for J.J. McCarthy
Even after a challenging first season in the starting role that included multiple injury setbacks, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stressed that the Vikings remain confident in the quarterback. Adofo-Mensah pointed to McCarthy’s growth as a key reason the front office feels optimistic about what lies ahead.
“There’s just been growth moments,“ Adofo-Mensah said during the December 23 edition of “X’s and O’s with Kevin O’Connell.” “I try and make sure that my dialogue with him is incredibly positive because, if you think about this world, you got the external world who’s always going to be negative, and then you’ve got coaching, who are going to be positive, but they’re also going to coach them.
“I try and always make sure I’m highlighting, ‘Hey man, this is a great thing that I’m seeing you’re doing.‘ Things like playing really up in the pocket. A lot of young quarterbacks, when they get pressure in their face, they’re trying to bail out the back. He’s very good about getting up in the pocket either to make scrambles or make good decisions.”
Vikings Announce Bad News Before Lions Game on Christmas Day