Approaching a Week 5 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings made a move that signals some confidence in their quarterback room moving forward.
On Saturday, October 4, the Vikings waived veteran quarterback Desmond Ridder, who spent two weeks with the team with J.J. McCarthy on the mend from a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2.
That leaves just Carson Wentz and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer available for Sunday morning’s game in London, England. While Ridder served as a veteran buffer to keep Brosmer from being thrust into action, the Vikings are apparently comfortable with Brosmer as an emergency fill-in for Wentz.
McCarthy is nearing his return to action after he spent several days in a walking boot following his ankle injury. He was poised to return to practice on Friday, but rainy weather conditions led Kevin O’Connell to keep McCarthy sidelined.
“He got through [the week] pretty well,” O’Connell said of McCarthy, per ESPN. “Obviously, with the weather today, 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. But very much looking forward to spending some time with him next week and see where he is at coming out of the bye.”
Wentz will get his third start of the season on Sunday. He’s completed 44 of 66 pass attempts (66.7%) for 523 yards passing, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Meanwhile, Ridder moves on from his fifth team in four seasons, leaving roster space for reinforcements in Week 5.
Vikings Pro Bowler C.J. Ham Headlines List of Newly Active Players to Face Browns
Starting the season on injured reserve, Vikings Pro Bowl fullback C.J. Ham appears poised to make his debut against the Browns. Ham was activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Vikings added guards Vershon Lee and Henry Byrd to the active roster for Week 5, along with running back Cam Akers, who was elevated from the practice squad.
Lee and Byrd will help shore up a depleted offensive line room that has four linemen ruled out for Sunday. The Vikings will be without starting right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee), left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist) and center Ryan Kelly (concussion). Backup center Michael Jurgens (hamstring) was also ruled out, thrusting Blake Brandel into his first-ever start at center.
Brandel may need to get comfortable at that spot, considering the Vikings announced devastating news on Kelly on Saturday as well.
Vikings C Ryan Kelly Placed on Injured Reserve Amid Critical Concussion Concerns
Ahead of the Browns game, Kelly was placed on injured reserve after he suffered his second concussion in three weeks this season. He will miss at least the next four games.
However, it’s potentially even more serious for Kelly, whose past of concussions has put his career into question.
Since the 2023 season, Kelly has been diagnosed with five concussions. When asked how many he’s had from playing football after his second concussion with the Indianapolis Colts that season, he told Indianapolis media “five or six,” putting him at seven or eight, by his count.
Kelly said he would consider his livelihood after football if he continued to play through the head injuries, and his recent run with the Vikings has surely led to those conversations being revisited.
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