Vikings hopeful McCarthy back for Week 9 after blowout loss

LOS ANGELES — The Minnesota Vikings appear to be clearing the way for JJ McCarthy to return as starting quarterback next week after six weeks recovering from a sprained right ankle.

McCarthy has been the Vikings’ third-string emergency quarterback for two straight games, including Thursday night’s 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Afterward, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell reaffirmed his commitment to getting McCarthy back on the field as soon as possible.

“If JJ is healthy, JJ will play,” O’Connell said. “That’s been the case since his injury. That’s always been my mindset, and I think we’re right – I hope – to see him be healthy, have a week of preparation and go compete.”

McCarthy started the Vikings’ first two games of the season, but reported significant soreness in his right ankle the morning after a 22–6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on September 14. O’Connell initially listed McCarthy’s status as “week to week”, and McCarthy later said he was given a timetable of up to six weeks for a full recovery. The Vikings put him through a workout Tuesday at their practice facility to see if playing against the Chargers was an option, but O’Connell said, “JJ and the medical staff didn’t feel like he was there yet.”

With a “mini-bye” this weekend and then an additional practice scheduled for Monday, the Vikings will give McCarthy a full runway to return to the starting role in time for their Nov. 2 game against the Detroit Lions.

Backup Carson Wentz has started five games in place of McCarthy, compiling a 2-3 record, but he is playing with a significant left shoulder injury that left him in obvious distress Thursday night. He said it was “quite possibly” the most pain he had felt during a football game, and attributed it largely to his shortened recovery time due to a Thursday night game.

The Vikings’ medical staff fitted him with a shoulder harness and several other protective covers, which Wentz said he never wore “anything close to” to play. He finished 15 of 27 for 144 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He took five sacks and was hit eight times. After being hit on an incomplete fourth down in the fourth quarter, Wentz threw his helmet on the bench – for which he later apologized to the team’s equipment staff – and covered his face with a towel.

“Pain is pain,” Wentz said. “I felt like I could still help this team and find a way to go down and score and all that. So we knew coming into the game that that was going to be a part of it. And again, that’s the hardest part of Thursday night’s games. [You] I just don’t have the chance to recover, but that’s no excuse in any way.”

O’Connell said he was in constant conversation with Wentz and the team’s medical staff, but never thought he would have to replace him until the game was out of reach. With McCarthy designated as an emergency quarterback, the first available option under the rule would have been undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.

Brosmer only came on at 1 minute, with 56 seconds remaining.

“Carson is a veteran player,” O’Connell said, “and he understands some of our circumstances tonight. I think it’s very difficult to ask a rookie to go out there for his first performance and have to put up with that a little bit for the group.”