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Vikings turn to untested McCarthy at QB after rookie-year knee injury kept him out of 14-win season
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy leaves the field after an NFL preseason football game against the Houston Texans, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis. - photo by AP Photo/Matt Krohn
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — MINNESOTA VIKINGS (14-4) Expectations The fourth year together for coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah comes with a high bar for success after they each received a long-term contract extension and led another ownership-supported aggressive push for upgrades at several positions in free agency. Matching their 14-win total from 2024 will be a tall task in a stacked division, but the Vikings are 0-2 in the playoffs since the current leadership arrived in 2022 so there's the first place to seek improvement. They're determined to do so despite new quarterback J.J. McCarthy never having taken a regular-season NFL snap after missing his rookie year with a knee injury.