Kevin O’Connell Smacks Down Vikings Conspiracy Theory
J.J. McCarthy injured his ankle in Sunday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and some think it’s a front.
Internet theories have already run rampant about the Vikings’ dealings with J.J. McCarthy, but head coach Kevin O’Connell wasn’t having it.
Indeed, the internet has sponsored theories that the Vikings wanted to bench McCarthy for poor performance and are using the high ankle sprain as a cover or an excuse.
Of course, the idea is ludicrous, and head coach Kevin O’Connell went out of his way to denounce the theory on Monday.
The Vikings Did Not “Bench” J.J. McCarthy
The rumor mill claims otherwise about the Vikings and McCarthy.
Kevin O’Connell Says Nope to “Soft Benching” Theory
Underdog‘s Hayden Winks posted a video of McCarthy on Monday and tweeted, “Suspicion the Vikings are hiding behind injury. This is J.J. McCarthy on the 2nd-to-last play. Looks to be moving well. Not touched on the last play either. Ruled on a Monday? Really??”
Star Tribune‘s Michael Rand joined the fun on X: “I would like to introduce a term, and its possible application to the Vikings QB situation: soft benching.”
Those two tweets, among others, sparked a conversation suggesting Minnesota used McCarthy’s injury as cover to try Carson Wentz on for size this weekend.
Then, O’Connell came through and poured cold water on the nonsense. When asked if he benched McCarthy for performance, O’Connell told reporters:
No, not at all. In fact, it was pretty crushing this morning to hear that for me. Look, for J.J., he’s in a long process, a long journey right now where there’s going to be some ups and downs, and as a team, I think our ability to play a little bit more consistent around him on the offensive side, these one off, kind of critical errors that end up being totally out of J.J.’s control.
We’ve got to find a way to eliminate those and limit them in any way possible. The things that are self-inflicted that our opponent is really not doing a whole lot to cause, those are the things that we need to make sure we wrap our minds around, look at him, meet him head on. That’s us as coaches. You know absolutely myself and then our group, and we’ve got the group to do that. But no, there’s not any aspect of this – this is a purely medical-based thing that we’re dealing with right now.
Why the Theory Was Dumb
McCarthy has played two games. Two games. And he led a dazzling 4th Quarter comeback in one.
Minnesota didn’t draft McCarthy for him to emerge as an elite quarterback in eight quarters. It didn’t bat away Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Aaron Rodgers during the offseason so it could bench McCarthy after a single bad game.
The Vikings are committed to McCarthy through thick and thin. The guy suffered a high ankle sprain. It’s not a conspiracy. He’s hurt and will miss a few games. This happens in sports.
Carson Wentz in the Meantime
Without McCarthy, Minnesota will pivot to Wentz, who, once upon a time, was the next big thing in the NFL. Wentz burst onto the scene from 2016 to 2018 before showing signs of turmoil in 2019, later prompting the Philadelphia Eagles to draft Jalen Hurts.
Wentz’s career has never recovered.
But like Darnold before him, Wentz hopes that O’Connell’s mentorship will be the special sauce for a career revival. Not for nothing, this frequently happens for the Vikings — the backup quarterback entering the lineup and taking it off. It actually happens all the time.
A Return to McCarthy When Ready?
The proof of O’Connell’s comments will be in the pudding about 2-4 weeks from now.
Let’s pretend that Wentz forges a Darnoldian path, playing great within Minnesota’s offense and engineering some wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns. The true test will be O’Connell’s commitment to reinsert McCarthy into the lineup when he’s healthy if a Wentz-led offense is suddenly clicking.
For example, if Minnesota wins three straight, McCarthy heals, and O’Connell says, “We are sticking with Carson Wentz because he is the hot hand,” well, the soft-benching truthers will look like soothsayers.
CBS Sports on Vikings QB Position
Cody Benjamin at CBS Sports noted on the Vikings QB situation: “At some point the quarterback also has to steady himself, to put the ball where it needs to go before the closing seconds of a half or fourth quarter. He certainly has to put his team in the end zone on a night the opposition settles for five field goals and still gets a blowout win. That is, unless Wentz does it in his place and starts an entirely different conversation.”
“If there’s one overarching thing that could help Minnesota weather McCarthy’s non-linear growth, it’s the culture already established. O’Connell is beloved for his upbeat and optimistic leadership; he’s been the glue of the locker room since his arrival. And Jefferson, the most recognized talent on the team, has been remarkably patient with his quarterbacks, such as when O’Connell had to cycle through emergency backups like Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens following Cousins’ injury in 2023.”
Oddsmakers now believe Minnesota will finish 8-9 or 9-8.
“Few bona fide No. 1 pass catchers extend such easy grace. It’s only natural, though, as Collinsworth did Sunday, to wonder how long such grace can be extended; this is Year 6 for Jefferson, and the club approached a No. 1 playoff seed a year ago, so if McCarthy’s peaks don’t outweigh his valleys by the time the calendar flips to October, November, December, well, the onus will really be on O’Connell to keep his men aligned,” Benjamin added.
“So is it time to hit the panic button on J.J. McCarthy as the long-term face of the Vikings? Probably not. It is, however, time to start considering he’s not the guy to take the Vikings right back to the playoffs in 2025. There’s plenty of time for that story to be rewritten. But already the clock is ticking.”
Wentz’s first test is this Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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