Kevin O’Connell Fires Back at Main Vikings Conspiracy Theory
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is on tap to return in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions — also known as eight days from now. And thanks to head coach Kevin O’Connell, the main conspiracy theory regarding McCarthy was thoroughly debunked on Thursday night.
It never made any sense in the first place, but after the Vikings’ loss on TNF, Kevin O’Connell set the record straight on a conspiracy theory.
Several fringe theorists have claimed that Vikings faked McCarthy’s injury — a high ankle sprain in Week 2 — as a coordinated, organization-wide lie to bench him for performance reasons.
The problem? It just isn’t true.
Kevin O’Connell Says Nope to Zany “Soft Benching” Theory Regarding J.J. McCarthy
Much to the chagrin of some, McCarthy to the bench for performance was wholly fiction. Made up.
O’Connell on McCarthy after TNF Loss
Asked about McCarthy’s availability in Week against the Lions on Thursday night, O’Connell told reporters, “If J.J. is healthy, J.J. will play. That’s been the case since the injury. That’s always been kind of my mindset, and I believe we’re right—hopefully—around the corner from seeing him be healthy, have a week of preparation and go compete.”
The comment left nothing to interpretation.
“Always Been the Case” Is Key Verbiage
There was no reason for O’Connell to say the following phrase other than to fight back at the bizarre “soft benching” narrative: “If J.J. is healthy, J.J. will play. That’s been the case since the injury.”
High ankle sprains are bothersome, stubborn injuries — and they don’t just happen to McCarthy. To suggest the Vikings’ coaches, trainers, front office, and ownership somehow staged or sabotaged McCarthy’s injury is the kind of tinfoil logic reserved for the deep corners of the internet.
Realistically, it’s a four-to-six-week recovery window. McCarthy will hit Week 6 in the coming days, which tracks right where it should. Nothing mysterious here — it’s just biology being biology.
Would O’Connell Really Want Carson Wentz Playing? The Guy Is Awful.
Here’s the kicker: Carson Wentz stinks. He isn’t good. He can’t see open receivers. He turns the ball over too frequently. He can’t really move like he used to when he was younger. He’s the worst quarterback on the planet through seven games, according to Pro Football Focus.
Do you think O’Connell wants PFF’s worst quarterback to lead his team every Thursday or Sunday? No — he drafted McCarthy with 1st-Round draft stock in 2024. The Vikings signed Wentz late in the summer of 2025.
The plan was always to play McCarthy, from the very beginning of the offseason, and to believe that O’Connell suddenly decided that the poorest graded passer per PFF is a wiser choice at QB1 than McCarthy is incredibly mind-numbing.
McCarthy Has a Chance to Be a Season-Saver
Few thought it would come to this, but the Vikings’ final hope to make the 2025 season fun, suspenseful, and worthwhile rests in the hands of their 22-year-old quarterback.
Wentz has been abused, battered, and ravaged. He’s probably done as the QB1, unless another heinous injury emerges. And it was wildly evident that O’Connell wanted nothing to do with Max Brosmer while the Chargers’ defense slapped Wentz around for 2.5 hours in Week 8.
Minnesota picked McCarthy in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft to be their longtime franchise quarterback, and in many ways, their hero. He won’t have a slow burn to showtime; he’ll be asked early as Week 9 to be the savior.
There’s simply no other choice if the Vikings want to remain in the hunt. McCarthy is the last hope for this season.
Mike Florio on McCarthy
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio on McCarthy, “If he’s healthy enough to play, it’s time to play. Because it’s time for the Vikings to find out what they have. Or what they don’t. Is two years enough to make a decision? It wasn’t for the Colts, who benched Anthony Richardson for Daniel Jones after Richardson’s second year.”
“Franchise quarterbacks stay healthy. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in an exhibition game last year. This year, he injured his ankle in his second game. If the quarterback can’t stay on the field, that disqualifies him from being the quarterback. And it definitely prevents him from being a franchise quarterback. And so it’s time. It’s time to see if McCarthy can play. It’s time to see if he can stay healthy. It’s time to see if he can develop.”
Sportsbooks already predict Minnesota to lose by eight or nine points at Detroit in Week 9.
Florio added, “The Vikings aren’t nearly as good as they were in 2024. While a playoff berth isn’t out of the question, this isn’t a Super Bowl team. They need to have enough data to make a decision about McCarthy, so that they can explore their options in 2026. It’s that simple. This is the NFL. Sink or swim. The good teams admit their mistakes and move on.”
“The dysfunctional teams double down. So where are the Vikings? The answer is clear. They need to find out what they have with McCarthy. Now.”
McCarthy is eight days away from his return, and the soft benching conspiracies will fall on the ash heap of Vikings history with zero merit. They were fictionalized for cheap heat.
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