Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has struggled with injuries this season, forcing backup Carson Wentz into action. While Wentz kept the team competitive in his three starts, he now faces his own injury concerns.
Wentz suffered a shoulder injury during the Week 5 victory over the Cleveland Browns, leaving his status uncertain for Minnesota’s upcoming matchup.
Carson Wentz’s Status For Vikings’ Upcoming Game
With McCarthy out after Week 2, the team turned to their veteran backup to take the starting job in his stead. Going 1-1 the previous two weeks, Wentz had a chance to improve his record when he took the field against the Browns in London.
Leading a game-winning drive, he was able to heroically pull off the victory after injuring his shoulder earlier in the game. After going into the locker room before halftime, he managed to battle through the pain and deliver a victory for Minnesota.
However, he is far from fully healthy, and head coach Kevin O’Connell said at his press conference on Monday that Wentz is going for further consultations about the injury.
“He’s still getting further evaluation, but he’s pretty sore in that left shoulder,” O’Connell said.
The full extent of Wentz’s injury remains uncertain, but with the Vikings on a bye this week, he should have time to recover ahead of Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. O’Connell also expressed optimism about McCarthy, noting that the quarterback is expected to participate in practice leading up to that game.
“We’ll be able to get him some extensive work, kind of as a lead-in to next week,” O’Connell said. “And then I anticipate his workload building up. We’re gonna really take advantage of that bonus Monday (practice), not only with him but with our whole team.
“J.J. got some work today, and he’ll get some work throughout the rest of the week,” he added. “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.”
If neither McCarthy nor Carson Wentz is ready for Week 7, the Vikings would have to rely on undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. He impressed during the preseason, completing 60.3% of his passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, finishing with a 100.1 passer rating.
While Brosmer showed promise in the preseason, facing a starting-caliber NFL defense presents a far greater challenge. With the Vikings’ offense currently struggling, ranked 23rd in PFSN’s Offensive Impact metric, it will be difficult for Minnesota to secure a win against the defending champions.