McCarthy, Minnesota's first-round pick in 2024 who missed all of last season with a knee injury and is taking over as the team's starting quarterback this season, played just one series against the Houston Texans on Saturday. McCarthy was fine, throwing inaccurately a couple times but doing enough to move the offense and get a field goal.

However, after four straight completions, McCarthy sputtered to end the drive, as Minnesota managed just a field goal. The Vikings then pulled McCarthy in favor of backup quarterback Sam Howell. McCarthy started the day strong, finding Jordan Addison on each of his first three attempts for a total of 33 yards.

J.J. McCarthy is back. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback returned to the gridiron for Saturday's preseason matchup against the Houston Texans. This was his first appearance since suffering a knee injury in the preseason last year that ended his 2024 season.