Week 18 wrapped up J.J. McCarthy’s first season as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting QB as the team defeated the Green Bay Packers 16-3 on Jan. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Moreover, the Vikings end the 2025 NFL season riding a five-game win streak and finish with a 9-8 record.
It was a challenging first season as the Vikings’ starting QB for McCarthy. The Michigan product dealt with inconsistent performances, which is expected considering he didn’t play at all his rookie season, and with injuries.
Despite leaving in the middle of the game against the Packers, the finale also gave quarterback McCarthy another chance to play and build positive momentum heading into the offseason, which he did.
McCarthy went 14-for-23 on his pass attempts for 182 passing yards, but more importantly, the second-season quarterback showed a promising connection with Justin Jefferson, who recorded eight receptions for 101 receiving yards.
After the win over Green Bay, McCarthy spoke with reporters about whether he did enough to warrant being the starting QB for Minnesota next season amid rumors that the Vikings could pursue another signal-caller in the offseason.
“After today, maybe,” McCarthy told reporters postgame. “Tomorrow, there’s nothing promise. The next day, there’s nothing promise. That’s something I take very seriously. It’s not something that you buy, and you get for the rest of your life. You rent it, you lease it every single day. I’m just trying to make daily deposits to make sure I’m in this house for a long time.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Gives Reason for Pulling Himself Out
Nonetheless, McCarthy had to exit the game with his right-hand injury still being an issue. While he wanted to continue playing, the Vikings starter knew that being out on the field would only hinder the team’s chances of securing a win.
“In a way, I don’t want to say because it feels bad in my heart, but I was happy I made the right decision,” McCarthy told reporters after the Vikings’ win. “I learned from something from the prior week, where feeling the momentum of the game, how well the defense is playing, when it gets to a point where you feel like your body is going to say, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ you got to put your ego aside and understand you got to do what’s best for the team.
“It’s a similar situation that came up [against the Packers], and it killed me to pull myself out. Never done that before, but had to do what’s best for the team.”
J.J. McCarthy Offers More Injury Details
McCarthy also explained when, during the game, the pain became too severe for him to perform effectively and contribute to the Vikings.
“It just started throbbing up a little bit during halftime, and I threw that first pass to Justin, and it was ten yards away from me. I didn’t feel like I could throw any further than that without something wild happening with the accuracy or the decision-making. So, yeah, it felt like it was best to take me.”
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