LOS ANGELES – Minnesota Vikings seems to clear the way for JJ McCarthy return as starting cornerback next week after a six-week recovery from a severe right ankle sprain.
McCarthy has been the Vikings' backup third baseman in two straight games, including Thursday night's game. loss with a score of 37-10 To Los Angeles Chargers. After that, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed his intention to return McCarthy to the field as soon as possible.
“If JJ is healthy, JJ will play,” O'Connell said. “It was like this after the injury. I always thought so, and I think that we are right – I hope – very soon we will see that he is healthy, we will spend a week of preparation and go to the competition.”
McCarthy started the first two games of the season for the Vikings but reported severe pain in his right ankle this morning following a 22-6 loss to the Vikings. Atlanta Falcons September 14. O'Connell initially classified McCarthy's status as “weekly,” and McCarthy later said he was given a timeline for a full recovery of up to six weeks. The Vikings sent him to practice at their practice facility Tuesday to see if he could play against the Chargers, but O'Connell said, “JJ and the medical staff didn't quite feel like he was there yet.”
With a mini-bye this weekend and then an additional practice scheduled for Monday, the Vikings will give McCarthy the full runway to transition back into the starting role in time for the Nov. 2 game at Vikings Stadium. Detroit Lions.
Backup Carson Wentz started five games in McCarthy's place, posting a 2-3 record, but played with a serious left shoulder injury that left him visibly upset Thursday night. He said it was “quite possibly” the most pain he had experienced during a football game and attributed it largely to reduced recovery time due to Thursday night's game.
The Vikings' medical staff fitted him with shoulder straps and several other protective wraps, which Wentz said he never wore “anything remotely close to” during a game. He finished 15 of 27 for 144 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He took five sacks and was hit eight times. After being hit on an incompletion on fourth down in the fourth quarter, Wentz threw his helmet onto the bench – for which he later apologized to team personnel – and covered his face with a towel.
“Pain is pain,” Wentz said. “I felt like I could still help this team and find a way to go down and score and stuff like that. So we knew going into the game that this was going to be part of it. And again, that’s the hardest part of Thursday night games.” [You] I just don’t have the opportunity to recover, but that’s by no means an excuse.”
O'Connell said he was in constant communication with Wentz and the team's medical staff but never thought he would need to replace him until the game became unavailable. Since McCarthy was designated as the backup cornerback, the first available option under the rules would have been an undrafted rookie. Max Brosmer.
Brosmer did not enter the game until 1 minute, 56 seconds had passed.
“Carson is a veteran player,” O'Connell said, “and he understands some of the circumstances we're in tonight. I think it's very difficult to get a new guy to come to his first show, and he's going to have to tough it out a little bit for the sake of the group.”
