Vikings First Injury Report of Week 8 Is a Push

The Minnesota Vikings must expedite all processes this week, as they prepare for Thursday Night Football in Los Angeles. And according to Monday’s injury report, the quarterback spot featured a shared designation: a limited practice for J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz.
It’s the Los Angeles Chargers for the Minnesota Vikings this week, and Monday’s makeshift injury report featured a push at the quarterback spot.
Wentz is the frontrunner to start for a fifth consecutive game, but there’s a small chance that McCarthy could be ready after five weeks on the shelf with a high ankle sprain.
Vikings Injury Report = J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz Limited
Another quarterback mystery for the purple team.

Carson Wentz Banged Up; Practice Is Limited
The Vikings, of course, have a short week due to TNF, so official practices began on Monday instead of Wednesday.
NBC Sports’ Charean Williams wrote, “J.J. McCarthy was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 and missed all nine practices from Weeks 3-5. He returned to practice last week after the team’s off week and was limited all three days. It seems likely that Carson Wentz will start again this week since it’s a short week. Wentz (left shoulder) also was estimated as limited on Monday.”
The practice wasn’t as formal as usual because the team had played a game the day before, but the estimation was that Wentz was limited after some wear and tear during the Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, where the veteran passer played pretty terribly.
McCarthy Nears Return Date with Limited Practice
Williams added on McCarthy, “J.J. McCarthy acknowledged late last week that his injured right ankle still isn’t fully healed. Monday’s practice report indicates he’s still not at 100 percent. The Vikings didn’t practice but estimated McCarthy as limited as the team began its preparations for Thursday Night Football.“
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has stated for a few weeks that McCarthy must a) be fully healthy to return under center at his QB1 spot, b) log a whole week of practice before getting the green light.
It’s unclear if O’Connell will loosen his criteria after Wentz’s mistake-riddled performance in Week 7.
Local Writers Hint at Wentz for Week 8
O’Connell will name a starter soon, but according to those who follow the team on the ground daily, Wentz, once again in Los Angeles, is the tentative expectation.

Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer and Ben Goessling collectively agreed on the Access Vikings podcast that Wentz is likely to start on Thursday night, paving the way for his fifth start in a row while McCarthy heals in totality, probably for Week 9 at the Detroit Lions.
Others, like ESPN’s Adam Schefter, have echoed the sentiments of Krammer and Goessling, merely assuming that Wentz will get the nod one more time because it’s a short week and McCarthy is reportedly nearing 100% but not all the way there.
A Verdict as Early as Tuesday
Thankfully, for those ultra-curious about the Week 8 quarterback plan, time is of the essence. In a typical week, O’Connell could evaluate Wentz and McCarthy and render a verdict on Friday. But with Thursday Night Football just two days away, he’ll probably provide a blunt-force announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.
If McCarthy gets the call — returning to the lineup for the first time since a repugnant Week 2 showing — he’ll face his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, a man he won a National Championship with in 2023.
Otherwise, The Wentz Train will ride again, likely featuring bumps, bruises, and a few sweet plays.
The Max Brosmer Theory
Meanwhile, the Vikings, in theory, could give undrafted rookie Max Brosmer a look on Thursday, according to Newsweek‘s Max Dible.
Dible wrote Monday, “Both Wentz and McCarthy have less time than they normally would to get healthy and prepare for what has been a solid Chargers defense to this point in the year, despite the Indianapolis Colts blowing them up for 38 points on Sunday.”
“Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is among those coaches expected to get real consideration in next year’s head-coaching cycle, and his propensity for confusing young QBs is well known across the NFL. That said, the New York Giants ran out rookie Jaxson Dart against Minter and the Chargers in Week 4, and Dart earned a victory in the first start of his professional career.”

He then delivered the Brosmer idea, “It was still more the Giants defense that deserved credit for that three-point win (21-18), as Dart completed 13 of 20 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown, while Los Angeles sacked him five times. Dart’s saving grace in that game was his ability to run the football, which he did 10 times for 54 yards and a score. Brosmer played well in the preseason, but he doesn’t possess the ground game that Dart does.”
“However, Minnesota has superior pass-catchers to the Giants in wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as tight end T.J. Hockenson, who could help Max Brosmer against a talented defense and confusing scheme in his first real NFL action.”
So, it’ll either be Wentz hoping to shake off the persistent cobwebs of a gaffe-happy Week 7 game, McCarthy against Harbaugh, or Brosmer’s first NFL start. Choose your fighter.
You must be logged in to post a comment.