The Minnesota Vikings have only seen 2024 first-round selection J.J. McCarthy take the field twice since drafting him. McCarthy lost his entire rookie season to a meniscus injury suffered in the preseason and sprained his ankle in his second start of this year.
This season, the Vikings have started veteran Carson Wentz in McCarthy’s absence to mixed results. With McCarthy on the mend, there was optimism that he’d get the nod for Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but head coach Kevin O’Connell is giving the ball to Wentz again.
“We’re all kind of encouraged about where he’s at, and the progress he’s making,” O’Connell said of McCarthy’s recovery, according to ESPN. “But he’s just not there.”
O’Connell also gave some insight into what he’s looking for from McCarthy before he gives him another start.
“It’s some of the movements, the reactionary movements within the pocket. Being able to use his athleticism to protect himself in the pocket and then, as he’s able to work through progressions.
“I feel really good about the work we’ve done on the foundation of his fundamentals,” he said. “That’s been pretty evident through the work that he’s done and really his commitment to doing that.
“It’s really just about, ‘Hey, there’s maybe a guy gets edged and I don’t really know the movement I’m going to have to make.’ That’s where he still feels it, and if he doesn’t have the ability to do that pain-free, we obviously risk setting him back, which would be very, very unfortunate with the time lost already.”
If Wentz shines against the Chargers, McCarthy may be hard-pressed to win his job back.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.