J.J. McCarthy played his first snap in the NFL after a year in the Minnesota Vikings' 2025 preseason opener against the Houston Texans. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie season after tearing his right knee meniscus during last season's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In his first game as Minnesota's primary quarterback, McCarthy completed 4 of 7 passes for 30 yards and no touchdowns. The Vikings' head coach, Kevin O'Connell, kept the former Michigan Wolverines star away from gridiron in the team's second preseason game against the Patriots.
The Vikings are set to vist the Tennessee Titans for the preseason finale on Friday. NFL Insider Kevin Seifert provided a disappointing update about Vikings' starters on Thursday.
According to Seifert, the Vikings’ starters had a rigorous practice session on Thursday. They engaged in a scrimmage-like practice with many reps. The NFL insider followed up with another speculation.
“The Vikings didn’t confirm this, but the strong inference after seeing how much work the starters got today is that Friday night in Tennessee will be almost all or entirely second- and third-team players,” Seifert wrote.
McCarthy is not likely to suit up for the Week 3 preseason game against the Titans. The youngster is confident about his performance and playing in the NFL.
"Extremely high. Highest it's ever been, I feel like. Just looking at the guys around me, and the coaching staff, that gives me all the confidence in the world. … I get goosebumps just thinking about it," McCarthy said.
J.J. McCarthy when asked where his confidence is right now: "Extremely high. Highest it's ever been, I feel like. Just looking at the guys around me, and the coaching staff, that gives me all the confidence in the world. ... I get goosebumps just thinking about it."
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 20, 2025
McCarthy does not have enough reps with his primary weapon, Justin Jefferson, under his belt and it might become concern for the franchise once the season begins.
The Titans will host the Minnesota Vikings at 8 PM ET on Friday, August 22, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Vikings are coming off a 20-12 loss against the New England Patriots, while the Titans won their last preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Fans can tune in to CBS to catch the game live. Andrew Catalon will handle play-by-play duties, with Charles Davis and Jason McCourty as analysts and A.J. Ross as the sideline reporter. Vikings’ fans can also watch the game on WCCO in the Twin Cities. Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5 will air the game in Tennessee.
Viewers can also stream the matchup using NFL+, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo TV.
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