Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has remained adamant that he will not rush J.J. McCarthy back into action until he is fully recovered from a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2.
That stance was put to the test on Friday, October 3, when O’Connell held McCarthy out of practice due to rainy conditions at the team’s temporary practice facility outside of London, England. McCarthy was ruled out for Week 5 shortly after.
“My hope was to try to get him some work during individual [drills], but with the weather and the tight field space — we’re working on a 100-yard field — we wanted to be smart with that,” O’Connell said after practice. “But very much looking forward to spending some time with him next week and see where he is at coming out of the bye.”
While there is speculation that the Vikings “soft benched” McCarthy to buy him more time to develop, his absence from practice affirms that O’Connell is not setting a smokescreen for the 22-year-old he backed as the team’s future franchise quarterback over the offseason.
However, McCarthy not taking a step forward in practice this week has left an impression that he may not be ready to start coming out of the bye week.
“I’ve been told by multiple sources that McCarthy isn’t healthy, and while the target return has been Week 7 against the Eagles, it could still be longer,” The Athletic’s Diana Russini wrote, defending the notion that McCarthy is indeed injured and was not pulled as the team’s starter.
NFL Insider Addresses Rumors That Vikings Are Hiding JJ McCarthy
Assessing the Vikings‘ plan for McCarthy’s return, Russini provided insight into McCarthy’s medicals and the philosophy of O’Connell.
From Russini:
“The medical staff projected a four-to-six week recovery, and coach Kevin O’Connell has been clear that McCarthy won’t play until he’s had a full week of practice. To this point, he hasn’t returned in any capacity, not even on a limited basis.
That reality has led to some raised eyebrows around the league. A few have wondered whether Minnesota might be hiding behind McCarthy’s injury to buy more time after the first-year starter struggled in Week 2 against the Falcons. But O’Connell’s track record suggests otherwise. Since arriving in Minnesota, he’s been transparent, steady and consistent when it comes to injury updates, never the type to play games for a competitive advantage.
He’s taken the Vikings to the playoffs, developed quarterbacks and showed leadership that’s earned him credibility,” Russini wrote. For now, his focus is on capping a two-week European trip with a win over the Browns. And O’Connell has earned the benefit of the doubt that when McCarthy is ready, when he’s had a full week of practice and when he’s healthy…
I’m told, “nothing to see here.”
When is Ideal for J.J. McCarthy Return?
McCarthy missing time to ramp up early this season puts quite a damper on his development for his first year as a starter.
With his return coming immediately out of the bye week looking bleak, his return continues to be far from ideal.
In Week 8, McCarthy would have a short week of practice to prepare for the Los Angeles Chargers. Then, there’s a vaunted divisional stretch of the schedule that could write off the team’s playoff hopes before the final month of the season if McCarthy cannot find his stride as a starter.
In the meantime, Carson Wentz has been fed to vaunted opposing pass rushes with a patchwork offensive line in front of him. Despite his veteran experience, he did not fare much better from a pocket presence perspective, surrendering six sacks last week to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
McCarthy needs to be able to be confident in his footwork first and foremost, and the Vikings offensive front returning to health can help the young quarterback’s confidence as well.
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