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.

The buzz was palpable on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium as everybody in attendance was eager to see new franchise quarterback J.J. McCarthy live in action.

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.