J.J. McCarthy was solid in his brief return for the Vikings, going 4 of 7 for 30 yards while leading a scoring drive in his only series and Minnesota topped the Houston Texans 20-10 on Saturday in the teams' preseason opener.

J.J. McCarthy is back. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback returned to the gridiron for Saturday's preseason matchup against the Houston Texans, marking his first appearance since suffering a knee injury in the preseason last year that ended his 2024 season before it truly began.

McCarthy booted on one snap and found Addison near the sideline. He sailed a third-down pass over the middle intended for receiver Lucky Jackson. He scrambled and secured a fourth-down conversion. He escaped on another third down and nearly completed a throw-back attempt to running back Jordan Mason.