The Minnesota Vikings are unlikely to have the services of quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, McCarthy is not expected to play versus Seattle because of the concussion he suffered in Week 12.
If McCarthy does indeed sit out, rookie Max Brosmer is expected to take the reins of the Minnesota offense on Sunday.
"(McCarthy) is not expected to play against Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday," Russini reported.
Assuming McCarthy doesn't suit up, this robs us of the Sam Darnold vs. McCarthy story line that so many of us wanted to see, which in turn makes the game less exciting.
On the flip side, it saves the Vikings from the possibility of further embarrassment, which would have come had Darnold soundly outplayed McCarthy in the game.
Of course, the Vikings had tons of success last season with Darnold under center but decided to let him walk in free agency to give McCarthy the push to starter.
Since then, the decision has proven disastrous.
McCarthy is off to one of the worst starts to a career in NFL history and the Vikings are 4-7 as a result, while Darnold is thriving in Seattle en route to the Seahawks posting an 8-3 mark and looking like one of the better teams in the league.
It's also worth noting that the Vikings had Daniel Jones on their roster in 2024 and let him walk in free agency, also. Now, Jones is in the midst of reviving his career with the upstart Indianapolis Colts.
Russini adds that the Vikings' decision to let Darnold and Jones go and not sign Aaron Rodgers had nothing to do with money and it was all about putting their weight behind McCarthy as the future of the franchise.
"From everything I’ve gathered, money wasn’t the hang-up in any of those situations; it was ultimately all about betting on J.J. McCarthy," she wrote.
The only veteran insurance policy the Vikings had behind McCarthy was Carson Wentz, but he's now out for the season with a shoulder injury, which is why the Vikings will deploy Brosmer against an elite defense in McCarthy's place.
While the early returns of McCarthy's time as the starter haven't been good, we do have to remember he's just six starts into his NFL career. He should get more time, especially with how much the Vikings have invested in him.
However, that doesn't mean the Vikings should be standing pat at quarterback in 2026. Minnesota needs to bring in a veteran next offseason, and preferably one better than Wentz who can take over for McCarthy and provide adequate quarterback play if Minnesota decides to pull the plug at any point.
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