Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy was just a spectator during the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 4 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His level of participation is on the verge of significant progress, though.
During the fourth quarter of the contest, which was broadcast on NFL Network stateside, Jamie Erdahl reported on the Vikings’ “hope” for McCarthy for Week 5.
The goal is to get the young QB back on the field, but only when the time is right.
Vikings Get J.J. MCarthy Update During Steelers Game
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before a game against the New England Patriots.
“Those physical reps? That’s what the Vikings hope for J.J. McCarthy this week. He told me his ankle is feeling better. However, this staff will not let him play until he is at 101%,” Erdahl said during the in-game report on September 28. “However, if he feels up to it, he will run the scout team quarterback this week in London, just to make sure … he gets his feet back under him and gets some live reps within this offense.”
The Vikings scored a touchdown shortly after the report, but they still trailed the Steelers by 10 points and allowed another long drive right after their touchdown, during which McCarthy’s fill-in, Carson Wentz, found reserve running back Zavier Scott in the back of the end zone.
McCarthy has not played since Week 2 due to a high ankle sprain, and the quarterback was inconsistent before suffering the injury.
He has completed 58.5% of his passes for 301 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
J.J. McCarthy Heading for Vikings Scout Team Reps
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before facing the Chicago Bears.
Wentz entered the contest having completed 70% of his throws for 173 yards, 2 TD, and 0 INTs in his lone start, a 48-10 drubbing of the Cincinnati Bengals.
That showing sparked speculation about whether Wentz could permanently replace McCarthy.
Wentz was 19-for-27 with 168 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, and 6 sacks taken through three quarters. He was 11-for-19 for 182 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs in the fourth. Wentz, the former No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 draft, is on a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Vikings.
McCarthy is the Vikings’ top pick of the 2024 draft, whom they traded up to select, and is on what is supposed to be the best bargain in the NFL: a rookie-scale contract as a QB.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell already addressed the situation earlier in the week.
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell Gets Honest About J.J. McCarthy
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on against the Chicago Bears.
O’Connell, who has developed a reputation as a QB whisperer, and the Vikings went so far as to avoid bringing in a serious threat to McCarthy during training camp, letting the second-year passer operate virtually unopposed as the starter.
That included not signing Aaron Rodgers, who was 18-for-22 for 200 yards and 1 TD pass.
The Vikings also sacked him twice. Still, O’Connell’s comments loom large in light of Erdah’s report and Wentz’s performance in the Vikings’ loss.
“Yeah, I think – first and foremost, he’s got to get healthy. And then, throughout that process, it’s not just – I don’t think it’s one of those things where it’s, hey, the day he’s healthy, and if he’s healthy the night before a game, we’re going to just throw him out there and say, ‘Hey, go figure it out’ type of thing. I think we saw, as phenomenal as he was getting prepared for the Atlanta game, he did miss practice that week,” O’Connell told reporters on September 22.
“When you’re in the phasing of building up the 10,000 reps and 10,000 hours of what it takes to play the position at a very high level, which we know J.J. McCarthy is going to do, you can’t cut corners on that. And that also doesn’t require an answer on that question today.”
Getting McCarthy reps with the scout team could help the Vikings fast-track his return.
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