Vikings’ McCarthy Joins Practice: What This Means for His Week 7 Status

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is back to practice after dealing with a high ankle sprain for a month. Coach Kevin O’Connell hasn’t confirmed if he’ll start Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles when the team returns from their bye week.

In the meantime, backup Carson Wentz has taken charge, leading the Vikings to a 2-1 record in his three games. Wentz has also managed to recover from a sore left shoulder, which had been bothering him. During the bye week, McCarthy hit the turf with his teammates to work on his game, focusing on getting back to his basics.

O’Connell emphasized the importance of this week for the whole team. “It’s good to see J.J. back out there getting reps,” he said. McCarthy struggled in earlier games, posting the NFL’s second-lowest QBR (20.3) and completing just 58.1% of his passes for a total of 301 yards. He also faced pressure, getting sacked nine times, and had more turnovers than touchdowns.

Adding some personal context, McCarthy missed a practice earlier this month for a significant life event—his son, Rome, was born. This season has been rocky for him with little practice time, just one full week before the Vikings’ first game against Chicago.

While O’Connell is hopeful about McCarthy’s condition, he’s cautious about making any premature decisions about who will start on Sunday. He aims to prepare the team for victory while keeping options open. It’s all about making the best choices for both the team and the players as the week unfolds.

With the NFL season having started with teams relying on their quarterbacks, it’s worth noting that injuries like McCarthy’s have become common. In fact, a survey from ESPN this year found that injuries have impacted nearly 72% of NFL teams at some point. The pressure to perform often weighs heavily on backup quarterbacks, as they step in with little notice.

This ongoing situation not only highlights the unpredictability of sports but also shows how personal milestones and injuries shape the paths of players. Each practice this week is a step toward clarity for the Vikings. It will be interesting to see which direction O’Connell decides to take.



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