Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

J.J. McCarthy Injury Update – Vikings Quarterback Set to Miss the Upcoming Few Weeks with an Ankle Injury

Carson Wentz in line to start for the Vikings amidst injury to J.J. McCarthy!

Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings suffered a crushing defeat in their game against the Atlanta Falcons this past Sunday, but that is not the only bad news for the NFC North franchise. Starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle injury during the game.

Although he would go on to finish the game, the latest update reveals the second-year signal caller is set to be on the sidelines for the upcoming few weeks.

J.J. McCarthy Injury Details

McCarthy is currently suffering from an ankle injury, one that he sustained in the third quarter of the Falcons game. While scrambling for a second down and 20 play with a little under three minutes left in the third quarter, McCarthy took off after seeing an opening for a 16-yard gain. The ensuing tackle is what is believed to have caused the injury.

As per the latest update from ESPN Insider Adam Schefter, the 22-year-old is now expected to miss the next two to four weeks. In his place, the Vikings are now expected to roll with veteran backup Carson Wentz under center until McCarthy is completely healthy to make his return.

ESPN sources: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is expected to be sidelined two-to-four weeks with a high ankle sprain.

With McCarthy out, Vikings QB Carson Wentz is now in line to start. pic.twitter.com/iZ1qvackMV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2025

How Many Games Will McCarthy Miss?

The update from Schefter indicates McCarthy could be out for the next two to four weeks, which means he will surely miss the week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Following that, there is a great chance that he will also miss the week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At the moment, it is difficult to tell whether he will miss weeks 5 and 6, but if so, the Vikings will be without their starter for the games against the Browns and the Eagles. It is highly unlikely he would miss any games after that, starting with the week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, but that would depend on how quickly he recovers.

McCarthy’s Performance against the Falcons in Week 2

Despite suffering the injury towards the end of the third quarter, McCarthy’s overall performance in the game was quite concerning, especially for Vikings fans. The former Michigan Wolverines’ signal caller ended the game with just 158 passing yards from 11 of 21 attempts with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

J.J McCarthy in his second NFL Start

11/21
158 Yards
2 INT pic.twitter.com/S2cklhWt6Z
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 15, 2025

Looking at his week 1 performance against the Bears, McCarthy struggled mightily in the first three quarters before leading his team to a come from behind win. And while he earned plenty of praise for that, the concerns were evidently visible.

Moreover, injuries are a big concern, especially since he ended up missing the entirety of his rookie season following a season-ending meniscus injury. And, just two games into his second year, he is now set to miss another 2-4 games minimum.

"It's concerning. He's missed 18 games and played in two."

—@danorlovsky7 on J.J. McCarthy and other young QBs needing reps to be successful ✍️ pic.twitter.com/N0sVWwevD5
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 15, 2025

Minnesota has one of the strongest squads in the league, but they are up against strong divisional rivals in the Packers and Lions. If the Vikings are to ensure a repeat of last year’s regular season, they will need McCarthy to step up his game once he returns, and also hope he can remain healthy for the rest of the season.

Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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J.J. McCarthy Injury Update

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!