There’s a J.J. McCarthy Injury Update
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle injury in Week 2’s loss versus the Atlanta Falcons and hasn’t played since. In each of the last three contests, backup Carson Wentz captained the offense, guiding his squad to a 2-1 record.
There’s a J.J. McCarthy Injury Update
Four weeks after the injury, we got an update from NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
“The Vikings quarterback situation is murky, to say the least,” Pelissero explained on Sunday. “J.J. McCarthy, I’m told, got good work during the bye week. He should be able to return to practice this week, but McCarthy is still not 100% on that ankle. They’ve got to see his mobility. They got to see how the ankle responds, and they got to make sure he is comfortable and in a groove from an operational perspective, before they put him back out on the field.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has emphasised that his young passer needs a full week of practice before he’s alllowed back under center.
In his first NFL game, McCarthy and the entire offense struggled for three quarters, before the sophomore put the team on his back and orchestrated a comeback win with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Just six days later, the offense couldn’t move the ball and McCarthy turned the ball over multiple times. The injury removed him from the spotlight for a few weeks, but also paused his development once again. The tenth overall pick from 2024 had already missed his entire rookie campaign due to a meniscus injury sustained in the preseason opener.
If he can’t go, the Vikings would love to turn to Wentz once again, but his status is unclear as well. In an (perhaps optimistic) attempt to pick up a first down with his legs, the veteran got hit hard by the Browns defense and had his shoulder evaluated. Wentz then returned to the game, but O’Connell suggested that he was sore a day after the game.
Pelissero added, “Meanwhile, his backup, Carson Wentz, is dealing with a left shoulder injury, and he could be limited in practice this week, a lot to sort through to figure out who’s going to be out there on the field next week against the Eagles.”
The third and only other quarterback on the roster is rookie Max Brosmer. He has a quarter worth of garbage time snaps against the Bengals and a kneel down against the Browns in his NFL resume.
In McCarthy’s absence, Wentz has completed 69 of 100 passes for 759 yards, five touchdowns and two picks. His contributions weren’t crucial in the blowout win in Week 3. A week later, he dropped 350 yards against the Steelers, but his tendency to run into trouble (a problem he shares with McCarthy) didn’t help the team whatsoever. His game-winning drive fell short.
Last week, Wentz completed such an attempt, when he found Jordan Addison for six points with under a minute to go. Overall, his play has been that of a capable backup in a simplified offense. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Wentz arrived in the Twin Cities after the preseason, a couple of weeks prior to the season opener.
Wentz has been a solid alternate, but is that enough to unseat the QB1? All the reports indicate that McCarthy re-enters the starting lineup once he’s healthy. His practice status on Wednesday will provide some more clarity whether that will be the case in Week 7 when the defending Super Bowl champions come to town.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.