“Sam Darnold is laughing” “Reminds me of Tua Tagovailoa”: NFL fans react as J.J. McCarthy gets ruled out of Lions game with hairline fracture

J.J. McCarthy will miss his seventh game of the 2025 NFL season after suffering a hairline fracture in his hand against the New York Giants on Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings won the Week 16 duel (16-13), but lost their starting quarterback in the process.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Tuesday that McCarthy won't be available for Thursday's duel against the Detroit Lions, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Max Brosmer will start for the former Michigan Wolverines playmaker.

The announcement drew reactions from fans, with some making fun of the Vikings for letting Sam Darnold go, and others aimed at McCarthy for not being able to stay healthy.

"Sam darnold is somewhere laughing," one fan said.

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"Kid can’t stay healthy. Reminds me of Tua," another fan said. "Bruh what are you talking about, ain’t no hairline on the hand? Hairline is on the head, must be a soft bench," another fan said.

Others said the Vikings might need to put pressure on McCarthy, and predicted Brosmer would steal the starting job.

"Not sure how you can expect/rely on JJ to be the sole QB next year. Gonna have to bring in some competition. /captain obvious," one fan said. "Max gonna steal the starting job," another fan said. "brosmer szn in minnesota now," another fan said.

J.J. McCarthy missed the entire second half against the Giants, finishing 9 of 14 for 108 yards. Brosmer filled in for the young quarterback, going 7 of 9 for 52 yards. McCarthy's availability against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 has yet to be determined.

Vikings legend ripped J.J. McCarthy after win over Cowboys

Amid a complex season, J.J. McCarthy has found ways to shine with the Vikings. The quarterback led his team to a 34-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15. After completing 15 of 24 pass attempts for 250 yards and tallying three total touchdowns, McCarthy earned a lot of praise.

However, Vikings legend Cris Carter criticized him over his antics during the game. During an appearance on the "Up & Adams" show, Carter didn't mince words about McCarthy.

"To me, that's not what KOC (Kevin O' Connell) wants from his quarterback," Carter said. "Like that alternate personality, number nine, all that stuff. No one's ever won in the NFL doing this. So, you know, to me, he acts like a kid, he's played like a kid, we're stuck with a kid until next year."

Carter has been going in on McCarthy this season.

Edited by Orlando Silva