J.J. McCarthy’s absence was noticeable in the Minnesota Vikings’ 26-0 defeat against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. With five games still to go, his injury makes the playoff path even steeper. Head coach Kevin O’Connell offered an update on where things stand.

In the post-game, O’Connell did not hide the reality or pretend the situation was simple. Instead, he explained the next step for McCarthy.

“We’ll see how he does tomorrow. Our goal is to be clear, and he can have a good week of practice and have an opportunity to play next week,” the Minnesota head coach said.

Meanwhile, the details of McCarthy’s injury still sting. On back-to-back fourth-quarter plays against the Packers, his helmet slammed the turf after tackles from Isaiah McDuffie and Kingsley Enagbare. Then, he self-reported symptoms on the flight home, and protocol took over from there. So McCarthy sat again, marking his sixth missed game this season. Because of that, Minnesota turned to Max Brosmer in Seattle.

The Packers’ loss before that injury was already rough for him. He threw two interceptions and finished with only 87 passing yards, his lowest mark of the year. His passer rating sank to 34.2, the worst of his career. Across his six starts, four ended with more interceptions than touchdowns.

On top of that, his availability has been a problem. He had already missed over a month with a high ankle sprain before returning in November.

So right now, McCarthy remains in protocol and is still not cleared. At the same time, the roster is getting thinner, which makes every update more important.

Kevin O’Connell provides new clarity on Aaron Jones

The night took a tough turn for the Vikings in the third quarter. Aaron Jones left in the second half with a shoulder issue and never checked back in. He headed straight into the sideline medical tent as the Skol crowd watched the run game stall. Now Kevin O’Connell has shared an update that gives a little direction but not a full answer yet.

“Aaron Jones, you know, aggravated his shoulder a little bit. He’s going to be evaluated.”

Before the injury, Jones struggled to get going. He logged six carries for three yards, caught four passes for 22 yards, and lost a fumble. The production never found rhythm, and the shoulder injury made things worse.

Then O’Connell moved to the rest of the roster.

“Ryan Kelly had a hip flexor. He did not return to the game when he came out. Josh Metellus and Jonathan Gennar didn’t finish the last drive, but no injury. Those guys had been dealing with some things, but they was not injury-related. And Jordan Mason, you saw him go down there later in the game. He was evaluated and returned. So really, Kelly and Jones would be the names that we’ll be evaluating here.”

That stacked list showed how thin the depth chart looked by the final whistle. Finally, back on Jones, the outlook matters for Week 14. If he cannot go against the Commanders, Jordan Mason would likely handle most of the work, while Zavier Scott slides into a change-of-pace role. So, let’s see how they line up next week.