Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that McCarthy will not suit up for Saturday's preseason contest against New England.

EDGE Analysis

McCarthy played one drive during Minnesota's preseason opener against the Texans, completing four of seven passes for 30 yards while rushing once for eight yards, but Sam Howell will get the start versus the Patriots. During the Vikings' exhibition finale versus Tennessee on Friday, Aug. 22, McCarthy could get a chance to handle more reps. Justin Jefferson (hamstring) remains absent from practice but will be re-evaluated next week, while Jordan Addison (suspension) will be eligible to play the remainder of the preseason but will begin the regular season with a three-game suspension.

McCarthy completed four of seven passes for 30 yards and added eight yards on his only carry in Saturday's 20-10 preseason win over the Texans.

EDGE Analysis

Seeing his first NFL game action since undergoing knee surgery in August 2024, McCarthy played just one possession and led the Vikings to a field goal, with his longest completion going for 18 yards to Jordan Addison. Neither Justin Jefferson (hamstring) nor T.J. Hockenson (leg) suited up for Saturday's contest, and whatever chemistry McCarthy develops with Addison will get shelved until Week 4 due to the wideout's looming suspension, but the top priority for the young QB this preseason is just to stay healthy as he heads into his first season as Minnesota's starter.

McCarthy is slated to start Saturday's preseason opener against the Texans, Steven Louis Goldstein of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

This will mark McCarthy's first game action since he tore the meniscus in his right knee in his first NFL preseason contest last year. With Sam Darnold no longer in the mix, the 2024 first-rounder is on track to begin the coming campaign as the Vikings' starting QB. As for Saturday, it remains to be seen how many snaps McCarthy will see, but for context, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com notes that Darnold played the first series of the 2024 preseason opener, 12 snaps in total, before giving way to McCarthy.

Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that McCarthy is expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

McCarthy's workload in Minnesota's exhibition opener is to be determined. Beyond that, the Vikings "will more than likely" focus on a joint practice with the Patriots next Wednesday, Aug. 13 and then hold out McCarthy in the ensuing preseason contest with New England on Saturday, Aug. 16, as O'Connell told Goessling. How McCarthy looks after that point will determine whether or not he sees game action Friday, Aug. 22 at Tennessee.

McCarthy has been participating in spring practices without any issues in his surgically repaired knee, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Coming back from a meniscus tear suffered last summer, McCarthy resumed on-field work in January, setting him up for a normal offseason. As expected, he had no limitations during OTAs and then passed his physical at the start of June minicamp. With Sam Howell and Brett Rypien being the veteran quarterbacks on Minnesota's roster, McCarthy doesn't appear to have any competition for the Week 1 starting job. He's in a great situation under coach Kevin O'Connell, throwing passes to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson while playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. McCarthy also offers more running ability that Sam Darnold, who threw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 TDs in Minnesota during the 2024 regular season.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday at the start of Minnesota's voluntary OTAs that McCarthy (knee) will participate in "full" with "no limitations," Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus that he was diagnosed with just after his preseason debut, but after the quarterback resumed on-field work in January, O'Connell said McCarthy is now "ready to hit the ground running" with no training limitations, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Despite McCarthy not being able to log any regular-season action as a rookie, Minnesota's confidence in the young-signal caller was high enough for the team to allow Sam Darnold to sign with Seattle after a career year, leaving last year's 10th overall pick in clear position to enter Year 2 as a starter. With an elite top trio of pass catchers at his disposal in the form of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, plus an O-line recently bolstered by offseason signings Ryan Kelly and Will Fries (lower leg), McCarthy has all the surrounding support necessary to start his tenure in the No. 1 seat strong.

The Vikings have rejected multiple trade calls on McCarthy (knee) this offseason and aren't pursuing Aaron Rodgers in free agency, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Minnesota is still expected to sign a veteran quarterback after losing Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens last week, but it won't be someone that represents a serious threat to take the starting job from McCarthy. The 10th overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft appeared be pressing Darnold for the starting gig last summer after throwing for 188 yards and two touchdowns in his preseason debut, only to be diagnosed with a torn meniscus a few days later. McCarthy had season-ending surgery in mid-August and didn't resume on-field work until the winter, but he should be back to full strength well before training camp. It isn't yet clear if he'll have any limitations during spring practices.

McCarthy (knee) is positioned as Minnesota's starting quarterback after Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones left in free agency, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Vikings may still bring in a veteran quarterback, but anyone they acquire at this point likely would just be a backup. Reports suggest the Vikings had interest in retaining Darnold or Jones but ultimately weren't wiling to pay as much as other teams. That can be taken as at least a small sign of confidence in McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with a meniscus tear after playing well in his lone preseason appearance. The 10th overall pick from last year's draft resumed on-field work this winter and should be ready to practice before training camp.

Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that McCarthy (knee) has resumed on-field work and is "right where we hoped he would be" in advance of the offseason, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Vikings drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in last year's draft, likely with the expectation that he would see game action during his rookie campaign. He in fact experienced live action football, but a promising pro debut in the preseason on Aug. 10 was followed by news a few days later that he tore the meniscus in his right knee and was out for the season. McCarthy thus spent the year on injured reserve, while watching journeyman Sam Darnold have a career season. Darnold will be an unrestricted free agent in March, so Minnesota could use the franchise tag on him or figure out some sort of multi-year deal, either of which could impact McCarthy's ability to vault into the No. 1 spot on the QB depth chart. Nevertheless, for the time being, McCarthy will focus on the later stages of his recovery effort.

McCarthy underwent a procedure on his right knee this week after an increase in his rehab work caused some swelling, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

In the wake of a successful preseason debut back on Aug. 10, McCarthy reported soreness in his right knee, and he eventually was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which required surgery Aug. 14. Considering he was placed on injured reserve before Week 1, the rookie first-round pick isn't eligible to play this season, so getting him healthy will be a priority for the Vikings as he heads into his first full offseason. In the meantime, the Vikings will continue to entrust the offense to quarterback Sam Darnold.