After missing five games due to an ankle injury, J.J. McCarthy made an electric return for the Minnesota Vikings in a win over the Detroit Lions in Week 9 of the season. But, since, the quarterback has not lived up to the potential that the Vikings saw when they selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
In a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy threw two interceptions for the third week in a row as Minnesota fell to 4-7 on the season. McCarthy has a 2-4 record as a starter, throwing two picks in each game.
Here's how the second-year quarterback's mistakes have held Minnesota back.
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J.J. McCarthy interceptions
McCarthy struggled against the Packers, completing 12-of-19 passes for 87 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Vikings scored only six points in the contest. He had a rating of 34.2 on the day while averaging a season-low 4.6 yards per completion. This is the third straight week where McCarthy has thrown two interceptions and the Vikings have scored under 20 points.
For the second-year quarterback, it has been a story of turnovers directly contributing to losses. In his two wins — Week 1 against the Bears and Week 9 against the Lions — he had two passing touchdowns in each game, to go along with one interception. Though, in the four losses, he has eight interceptions and two total touchdowns.
PACKERS PICK OFF J.J. MCCARTHY AND HIT THE SKOL CELLY 💀😭
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 23, 2025
McCarthy's thrown for just 87 yards and been intercepted twice 😬
(via @NFLonFOX)
pic.twitter.com/UmPYcTfkQu
On the season, McCarthy has 929 passing yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
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Vikings playoff picture
Minnesota is on the outside looking in. It is currently in the bottom tier of the NFC North, which is led by the Chicago Bears (8-3) and the Green Bay Packers (7-3-1), along with the Detroit Lions (7-4), who all have winning records.
The Vikings are also significantly outside of the current NFC Wild Card picture, likely sitting 10th or lower in the conference standings with several 6-win and 7-win teams ahead of them.
With only a few games left in the season, the Vikings face a very difficult path and have almost no margin for error. They will likely need to win most, if not all, of their remaining games to have a realistic chance at a Wild Card spot.
NFC North standings
The Vikings are in dead last in the NFC North, a considerable distance behind the other three teams.
| Position | Team | Record |
| 1 | Bears | 8-3 |
| 2 | Packers | 7-3-1 |
| 3 | Lions | 7-4 |
| 4 | Vikings | 4-7 |
Vikings remaining schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| 11/30 | at Seahawks | 4:05 PM |
| 12/07 | vs. Commanders | 1:00 PM |
| 12/14 | at Cowboys | 8:20 PM |
| 12/21 | at Giants | 1:00 PM |
| 12/25 | vs. Lions | 4:30 PM |
| 01/04 | vs. Packers | TBD |
MORE: Vikings may cut ties with talented WR because of other contracts