J.J. McCarthy won't return against the Eagles, so when will the QB reclaim the starting job?
Carson Wentz will get the start on Sunday and Max Brosmer will be the backup. McCarthy, coming off a high ankle sprain, will be the emergency third quarterback -- at least for this week.
Kevin O’Connell answered the most pressing question of the week Friday when he announced Carson Wentz would get a fourth consecutive start at quarterback for the Vikings on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
But that doesn’t eliminate the quarterback intrigue at TCO Performance Center — it only pushes the pause button on it. The real question: When will J.J. McCarthy return from a high right ankle sprain he suffered in a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons?
McCarthy, 22, was back at practice this week and is listed as questionable on the injury report. O’Connell said he plans to designate McCarthy as the Vikings’ emergency third quarterback, meaning he could enter the game if Wentz and backup Max Brosmer are both lost to injury.
“I was really proud of the work he put in as he continues to push through the later stages of this rehab,” O’Connell said of McCarthy. “I feel good about him being available. But he will be the emergency third quarterback. We went into the last game with two (quarterbacks), and it didn’t quite feel like that was the smartest thing to do. (I) feel good with where he’d be at if he had to play in that third quarterback capacity, so Max will back up Carson Wentz.”
While it was interesting O’Connell was willing to open the door a smidge to allow for the possibility McCarthy could play, the Vikings coach avoided making this a controversy by not having McCarthy as the backup to Wentz. Putting McCarthy second on the depth chart would have been akin to a benching because it would have meant he was healthy enough to step in if something happened to Wentz.
Wentz’s health could be a story entering Sunday after he suffered an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder in the Vikings’ victory over the Browns in Week 5.
O’Connell said Wednesday he and McCarthy did extensive work focused on the quarterback’s mechanics last week when the majority of players were away for the bye.