London weather pushes back J. J. McCarthy return for Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have made the decision not to bring back quarterback J.J. McCarthy for Sunday’s match against the Cleveland Browns. The decision is due, in part, to the bleak London weather.

With the team preparing for the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell decided not to risk McCarthy in the Friday practice session due to rainfall. Speaking to reporters, O’Connell confirmed that the rain had made it too much of a risk.

“He got through [the week] pretty well,” O’Connell said. “Obviously with the weather today, my hope was to try to get him some work during individual [drills], but with the weather and the tight field space - we’re working on a 100-yard field - we wanted to be smart with that. But very much looking forward to spending some time with him next week and see where he is at coming out of the bye.”

After the Cleveland match the Vikings have a two-week break before they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Staidum on October 19.

As the 2025 season unfolds the Minnesota Vikings are now firmly in the J.J. McCarthy era. The 2024 first-round pick has earned the starting role and faces high expectations to lead a roster loaded with talent.

The real test for Minnesota will be consistency, particularly given their struggles with injury already this season. The Vikings impressed at points in 2024 but couldn’t sustain it when injuries bit.

This year they need to play at their best across the whole season, a task complicated by the injury to McCarthy. The QB is tasked with developing in a high-pressure environment and will need his offensive line to give him the time and the space needed to learn his trade.

If the Vikings can do that, it would not be a huge surprise to see them return to the postseason with McCarthy as one of the most promising young QBs in the league.

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