J.J. McCarthy's return as Vikings' starting QB is inevitable and it's the right move
Carson Wentz impressed by leading a game-winning drive on Sunday, but coach Kevin O'Connell knows he must see what he has in the Vikings' 2024 first-round pick.
Carson Wentz deserves credit for giving Kevin O’Connell something to think about during the Vikings’ bye week.
His case being made on the team’s final drive Sunday against Cleveland: Trailing by three with 3 minutes, 5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the ball on the Minnesota 20-yard line, Wentz completed nine-of-nine passes for 71 yards and threw a 12-yard touchdown to Jordan Addison with 25 seconds left to give the Vikings a 21-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns in London.
That made the Vikings 2-1 since Wentz took over for injured starter J.J. McCarthy in Week 3. Is it enough for O’Connell to leave the 32-year-old as his starting quarterback once the Vikings (3-2) return from their bye next week.
My guess is it’s not, nor should it be.
O’Connell avoided answering a question about the quarterback situation following Sunday’s game — “I’m just excited we got the win today,” he said — but was a bit more open on Monday, saying McCarthy will be at the team’s facility this week.
“We’ll be able to get him some extensive work, kind of as a lead-in to next week, and then I anticipate his workload building up,” O’Connell said. “ … We’ve got some other guys he’ll be getting some work with on the field and then we’ll pick it up officially next week. But I’m encouraged about where he’s at right now.”
McCarthy suffered a high right ankle sprain in the third quarter of the Vikings’ loss to Atlanta on Sept. 14. He didn’t exit the game, but O’Connell said the next day he would miss time. McCarthy went on the Vikings’ two-week trip to Europe, and the hope was he would be able to practice at some point. That didn’t happen, and O’Connell has made it clear he won’t put McCarthy in a game until he has a healthy week of practice.
This gives O’Connell some leeway in how he handles the situation. It will be the call of Vikings’ doctors, and O’Connell, on what is considered a healthy week of practice. If McCarthy passes all of the tests before the Vikings’ next game on Oct. 19 against Philadelphia, I think he returns as the starter. If there is still concern, he likely will be held out for another game.
O’Connell isn’t going to put McCarthy in a situation in which he is worried about the quarterback’s ability to scramble, or be protected by an offensive line that on Sunday was missing three of its five starters and ended the game with only one regular starter playing.