Quarterback JJ McCarthy produced a dazzling NFL debut as he guided the Minnesota Vikings to a dramatic 27-24 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The 22-year-old, drafted in the first round in 2024, had missed his rookie year due to a knee injury but wasted no time in making an impact. He threw two touchdown passes and added a rushing score as the Vikings overturned a late deficit to silence the home crowd.
Trailing 17-6 entering the fourth quarter, Minnesota stormed back with 21 unanswered points across three successive drives. McCarthy, who grew up in Chicago, connected with Justin Jefferson for his first touchdown, delivered a pinpoint 27-yard strike to Aaron Jones Sr, and capped the surge with a 14-yard scramble into the end zone to extend the Vikings’ lead.
“There’s no way to deny that we don’t win this game unless JJ plays the way he did in the second half and, most importantly, kept the belief of his football team behind him,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Now we know it’s possible. We hope to not be in these circumstances very often, but his team’s made of the right stuff.”
The Bears, under new head coach Ben Johnson, had looked in control earlier thanks to a rushing touchdown from Caleb Williams and a defensive score when Nashon Wright returned a 74-yard interception. Williams later connected with Rome Odunze on a one-yard pass with two minutes left, but it was too late to prevent the Vikings’ rally.
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