J.J. McCarthy Injury Could Lead Vikings to Reunite With 29-Game NFL Starter
Posted September 16, 2025
The Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a unique position following a difficult loss to the Atlanta Falcons Sunday night, which included an injury to starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy experienced serious growing pains across his first two NFL games, committing four turnovers and leading the offense to just 12 points total in seven of the eight quarters he’s played — save for a 21-point effort in the fourth period against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 that led to an improbable comeback victory.
Minnesota would probably prefer to just let McCarthy struggle until he finds a consistent rhythm, but an ankle injury against the Falcons is now going to sideline him for between two and four games, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
That means Carson Wentz will start for the Vikings against the Cincinnati Bengals in Minneapolis next Sunday, while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will elevate into the QB2 role. Given McCarthy’s potentially extended absence, the Vikings are likely to add another quarterback to the roster.
A handful of veterans remain available in free agency, and Minnesota should look for a signal-caller with some starting experience given that one injury to Wentz is all that stands between Brosmer and leading a 14-win roster from 2024 into the teeth of this season’s schedule.
One name that makes sense is Taylor Heinicke, a former starter for the Washington Commanders who has posted a 3,400-yard season and been teammates with Wentz before.
Taylor Heinicke Began Career With Vikings, Found Sustained Success With Commanders
Heinicke actually began his professional career in Minnesota as an undrafted rookie in 2015. However, he didn’t see the field for the first time until he was a member of the Houston Texans two years later.
Now 32 years old, Heinicke spent 2018 with the Carolina Panthers, was out of the league the following season and then caught on with Washington in 2020. He spent three years with the Commanders, appearing in 26 games and starting 24 of those.
Heinicke earned a record of 7-8 in 2021, tallying 3,419 passing yards along with 20 TDs and 15 INTs. Wentz replaced Heinicke as the Commanders’ starting QB the following year, though broke his finger in Week 6.
As a result, Heinicke came back into the starting lineup and earned a record of 5-3-1 in Wentz’s absence. Wentz finished that season 2-5 as the starter. Both moved on to backup roles with new teams the following year: Heinicke joining the Atlanta Falcons and Wentz teaming up with the Los Angeles Rams.
For his career (42 games played, 29 starts), Heinicke has tallied 6,663 passing yards, 39 TDs and 28 INTs. He most recently inked a one-year deal worth $2.5 million to remain with Los Angeles Chargers in March, the team for which Heinicke played in 2024, though L.A. released him ahead of cutdown day in late August.
Vikings Confirm J.J. McCarthy Will Not Play Against Bengals
Head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke with reporters on Monday, September 15, essentially ruling McCarthy out for Week 3 against the Bengals.
“J.J. McCarthy did come in very, very sore today with the ankle sprain. I would anticipate we are not planning on having him for Sunday,” O’Connell said. “[I] don’t likely see this being any kind of short-term IR thing, but I do want to see … how he responds to treatment this week.”
If McCarthy appears likely to miss several weeks, the Vikings could still decide to place him on injured reserve to temporarily free up a roster spot. The danger is that sending someone to IR to open that roster slot means the injured player must miss at least four weeks.
Aaron Rodgers explains why he yelled at Steelers teammate
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws the ball during minicamp at their South Side facility. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers lost his cool with one of his teammates on Sunday, but tried to downplay the interaction following the game.
Rodgers was intercepted in the end zone when wide receiver Calvin Austin ran a poor route that essentially led to him accidentally breaking up a pass to teammate Pat Freiermuth. The veteran quarterback could be seen barking angrily at Austin after the interception.
After the game, Rodgers took on a softer tone by praising Austin, but admitting that the wide receiver made a mistake with his route.
“Cal is the best kid ever, but he probably should have just stayed in the flat there,” Rodgers said, via Jake Boico of Steeler Nation. “He knows it. Or he was kind of stealing it from Pat or just trying to catch it, put it away, score a touchdown.”
Week 2 did not go as well for the Steelers as Week 1 did. After scoring a touchdown in the opener, Austin was limited to one catch against the Seahawks, and he essentially cost his team points here.
Rodgers has, in the past, had a reputation for being tough on young wide receivers. Austin is only in his third season and is trying to carve out a role for himself in the Pittsburgh offense, but Rodgers has at least avoided throwing his new teammate under the bus too much in public.
