J.J. McCarthy Sits Out Vikings' Preseason Finale With Ankle Injury
McCarthy won't suit up at Denver on Friday with an ankle issue, and the timing collides with a 53-man cutdown that could reshape Minnesota's QB room.
Ankle injury and roster crunch cloud his standing before cutdown day.
- McCarthy out Friday at Denver with ankle injury
- Injury dates to last Saturday vs. Ravens
- 53-man cutdown deadline two days away
- 127 PPR pts across 10 games in 2025
- 12 INT vs. 11 TD last season
J.J. McCarthy won't play in Minnesota's preseason finale at Denver on Friday night, sidelined by an ankle injury he picked up last Saturday against the Ravens. He managed scaled-down practice reps Monday and Tuesday, then didn't practice Wednesday at all — not the trajectory you want two days before rosters trim to 53.
The timing is the real story here. Unless the Vikings plan to carry four quarterbacks, someone gets squeezed, and McCarthy suddenly finds himself in a genuine numbers game. With Carson Wentz — our No. 43 QB (No. 257 overall), who posted 68 PPR points across five games in 2025 — looking like the veteran behind Murray, the fight for the last spot pits McCarthy against undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.
The Roster Math
Brosmer, our No. 52 QB (No. 422 overall) with just 14 PPR points over eight games in 2025, could clear waivers and slide onto the practice squad — or get claimed by another team if he's cut. McCarthy has his own escape hatches: short-term IR would keep him off the 53 while the ankle heals, buying Minnesota time without forcing a decision.
The darker possibility floating around is that the Vikings simply move on. A trade or release isn't off the table, especially with the general manager who drafted McCarthy already gone. That kind of front-office turnover makes it easier to evaluate a young quarterback without ego attached, and McCarthy's two preseason outings did little to answer the durability, accuracy and touch questions that dogged him a year ago.
The Fantasy Fallout
McCarthy's 2025 line — 1,632 pass yards, 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, plus 181 rush yards and four scores on the ground over 10 games, good for 127 PPR points — flashed the mobility that gives him a fantasy ceiling but also the mistakes that cap his floor. Our current rank of No. 32 at the position (No. 145 overall) reflects a wait-and-see profile even before this ankle wrinkle.
For now, treat McCarthy as a WATCH, not an add. If he lands on short-term IR or slips down the depth chart, there's no reason to roster him in redraft leagues. Dynasty managers who bought the upside can hold and monitor cutdown weekend — but if the Vikings decide to end the experiment entirely, his value craters fast. Keep him on the radar and let the next 48 hours tell you which way this breaks.
