After Thursday night's disaster of a game against the Chargers, the team needs McCarthy back sooner rather than later.

The postgame handshake between Michigan alums J.J. McCarthy and Jim Harbaugh after Thursday's Vikings-Chargers game sparked some buzz.

When they were both in Ann Arbor, former Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh called quarterback J.J. McCarthy like ‘a favored son.’ And you could see, not just on the field, the bond between coach and player. But how would that relationship survive when the duo are on opposing sides in the NFL?

When the Lions return from the bye and host the Minnesota Vikings, they can expect to face J.J. McCarthy as Minnesota's starting QB

The Minnesota Vikings are trying to get back above .500 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. They received excellent news on this front when they learned about running back Aaron Jones' potential return. Unfortunately, they can't yet say the same for their young quarterback, who was Minnesota's starter entering the 2025 season.

J.J. McCarthy looked quite healthy when he jumped to avoid Justin Jefferson on the sideline after the All-Pro receiver slid out of bounds following a catch.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell took most of the blame for Minnesota's 27-point loss to the Chargers on Thursday and expects to hand the ball back to quarterback J.J. McCarthy as part of the rebound plan.

If McCarthy picks up where he left off and Minnesota’s season sputters to an uninspiring finish, everything will be in question for this team.