The Minnesota Vikings took a major swing this offseason, letting Sam Darnold walk after a 4,000-passing-yard and 14-win season in favor of J.J. McCarthy becoming their new starting quarterback. Through the first two weeks of the season, things weren’t looking pretty for the youngster. However, they took a turn for the worse soon after, with an injury sidelining him for an extended period of time.
After missing the entirety of his rookie season following a torn meniscus in his right knee that he suffered in the preseason, another injury has kept him out of action for the past four weeks. In his stead, veteran backup Carson Wentz has done a more than admirable job to keep the team afloat. But when they face the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, in Week 7, will the Vikings have their QB1 back?
Will J.J. McCarthy Play Against the Eagles?
Starting off his career in historic fashion, McCarthy put together one of the greatest fourth quarters for a rookie in league history. It was the first time a quarterback threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his debut.
Additionally, it marked the first time in 40 years, since Steve Young in 1985, that a rookie overcame a 10-point deficit in his first game as an NFL pro. However, that looked more like a blip than the norm following Week 2.
The first three quarters were brutal for the Michigan product, a trend that continued in his second NFL game. Finishing with 301 yards and two touchdowns through the air through two games, he also had 50 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
However, three interceptions severely hampered his performance, leading to him ranking as the third-worst quarterback on PFSN’s QB Impact, ahead of just Cam Ward and Jake Browning.
A high right ankle sprain suffered in Week 2, though, has kept him out of action since. Initially given a recovery timeline of close to four weeks, that should have put him on track to play against the Eagles.
However, as he himself revealed on Wednesday, it isn’t fully 100% yet. “We’ve got to be smart here and understand there’s a lot of things that go into play, and at the end of the day, I’m just going to do what I’m told and try to get better as fast as possible.”
He remained a limited participant in practice. Earlier in the season, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed that he wasn’t going to play McCarthy until he was back to 100%.
On Friday, the Vikings confirmed that Wentz would start against the Eagles, and McCarthy, who continues his recovery from injury, will serve as the emergency QB3.
