Who Should I Start? J.J. McCarthy or Quinn Ewers

Sunday, January 4, 3:08 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (right hand) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Green Bay Packers. He is officially listed as questionable to return. Given that Minnesota is eliminated from playoff contention and Green Bay is penciled into the No. 7 seed, it seems somewhat unlikely that the Vikings will put McCarthy back into the game if he's not fully healthy. For the time being, Max Brosmer has taken over at quarterback. At the time of his departure, McCarthy had completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 182 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero turnovers. He also had seven rushing yards. Injuries continue to be a common theme for the former first-round pick. McCarthy missed the entire 2024 season, and he played 100% of the snaps in fewer than half of the Vikings' games this year.

Sunday, January 4, 7:35 PM

Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (knee) exited after taking a sack during the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 18 loss against the New England Patriots. He was listed as questionable but ultimately did not return in the final minutes of the contest. Zach Wilson played the final few offensive snaps for Miami. Ewers finished the final game of the season with 137 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception, and four sacks. The rookie took over for Tua Tagovailoa in Week 16 and seemed to play well enough over the final few weeks to remain in competition for the backup job ahead of the 2026 season. However, Miami's starting quarterback plans for next year remain up in the air, as Tagovailoa is expected to be traded or released. Ewers is unlikely to be in the mix for the starting job, so he's not an appealing option in 2026 redraft leagues.