Many expected it to happen, but on Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings officially announced that quarterback J.J. McCarthy will sit out the team's upcoming Christmas matchup on Thursday against the Detroit Lions due to the hand injury he suffered during this past weekend's win over the New York Giants.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed that McCarthy suffered a "very small" hairline fracture on his throwing hand against the Giants, and the second-year quarterback won't need surgery to repair the injury.
There's also still a chance that McCarthy could return for Minnesota's regular-season finale against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18, but against the Lions on Thursday, the Vikings will take the field inside U.S. Bank Stadium with rookie Max Brosmer as the team's starting quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings rule J.J. McCarthy out for Week 17 against Detroit Lions
Tuesday's announcement is just the latest significant moment from what has turned into a rollercoaster of a season for McCarthy and the Vikings.
Minnesota began the 2025 campaign with its young quarterback leading the team to a comeback win on "Monday Night Football" over the Chicago Bears in his first-ever NFL start. The excitement from that victory quickly deflated after McCarthy suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 that wound up keeping him sidelined until Week 9.
Since his return, the Vikings' 22-year-old quarterback has experienced moments of extreme struggle and triumph during a handful of starts under center.
Thursday's matchup against Detroit was viewed as another test to help in the evaluation of McCarthy, but now that's not going to happen, and it's possible that we've already seen him play his last snap of the season.
More will be shared about his status for the season finale next week, but for now, we know that McCarthy will be spending Christmas watching Minnesota take on the Lions from the sideline.