Kevin O’Connell Keeps Cards Close to the Vest Regarding Potential Vikings QB Battle
The Minnesota Vikings are heading into their bye week after a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and this next week could provide a lot of answers for how the rest of this season will go.
One main storyline that everyone is keeping an eye on regards the quarterback position. Of course, J.J. McCarthy has missed each of the past three games because of a high ankle sprain. More than likely, he will get back onto the field this season, but the question of when that happens might have gotten more complicated with Carson Wentz’s performance against the Browns.
After the game, Kevin O’Connell made sure to keep all of his cards close to the vest in terms of who will be playing quarterback in Minnesota moving forward.
Kevin O’Connell Speaks on Potential Vikings QB Battle
Wentz had a strong showing on Sunday against the Browns, completing 25 of his 34 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown came on a beautiful two-minute drill in which he completed all nine of his passes, including the game-winning touchdown to Jordan Addison.
The initial belief when McCarthy got injured was he would be out somewhere between four to six weeks, and after the Vikings return for their bye, it would mark the fifth week of recovery for the second-year QB.
When asked about who should be Minnesota’s QB moving forward, though, O’Connell gave a very vague answer.
““I’m just excited we got the win today, and we’re going to move forward in this bye and get as healthy as we can at all positions, and attack this thing for the next few games.”
Ultimately, the return of McCarthy to the field should not just revolve around the QB’s health, but his readiness to play at a high level.
Dianna Russini revealed on Sunday that McCarthy has not practiced at all since the injury, meaning there likely is a decent amount of rust that has built up.
“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,” Russini wrote.
This is crucial because the Vikings have a tough slate of games coming out of their bye week, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 before traveling to play the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions.
As a result, McCarthy not only needs to be healthy enough to step on the field, but he needs to be back up to speed and prepared to go up against some tough defenses.
We more than likely will see McCarthy back in the starting lineup this season, but don’t be surprised if we see Wentz for at least a couple more games.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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