Vikings to stay with Carson Wentz as beginning QB vs. Chargers

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are sticking with quarterback Carson Wentz for no less than yet one more sport, coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned Tuesday, citing a brief week of preparation earlier than Minnesota performs Thursday night time in Los Angeles in opposition to the Chargers.

J.J. McCarthy will proceed his restoration from a excessive proper ankle sprain by serving because the Vikings’ emergency No. 3 quarterback for the second consecutive week. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer would be the backup behind Wentz.

In the meantime, the Vikings opened the 21-day follow window for operating again Aaron Jones, who has been on injured reserve since injuring his hamstring in Week 2. O’Connell mentioned it was doable that Jones may very well be activated in time for Thursday night time’s sport. Jordan Mason has taken over because the Vikings’ major operating again, with 380 yards and 4 touchdowns this season, however the Vikings have missed Jones notably of their passing sport.

O’Connell and the Vikings’ medical staff put McCarthy by way of an on-field exercise Tuesday morning. O’Connell mentioned he needed get “readability” on whether or not McCarthy may very well be a candidate to play Thursday.

In the end, McCarthy was nonetheless restricted, and the Vikings consider beginning him Thursday night time would danger reinjury. Assuming he is not known as into emergency responsibility, McCarthy will miss his twenty second regular-season sport in 24 alternatives due to accidents because the Vikings chosen him with the No. 10 decide of the 2024 draft.

“We’re all sort of inspired about the place he is at, and the progress he is making,” O’Connell mentioned. “However he is simply not there.”

The analysis may need been totally different had the Vikings been scheduled to play Sunday as an alternative of Thursday.

Requested what threshold he desires to see McCarthy attain earlier than clearing him to start out, O’Connell mentioned: “It is a few of the actions, the reactionary actions throughout the pocket. Having the ability to use his athleticism to guard himself within the pocket after which as he is capable of work by way of progressions.

“I really feel actually good in regards to the work we have executed on the muse of his fundamentals,” he mentioned. “That is been fairly evident by way of the work that he is executed and actually his dedication to doing that. It is actually nearly, ‘Hey, there’s perhaps a man will get edged and I do not actually know the motion I’ll must make.’ That is the place he nonetheless feels it and if he does not have the flexibility to try this pain-free, we clearly danger setting him again, which might be very, very unlucky with the time misplaced already.”

McCarthy mentioned final week that a number of second opinions steered the damage might take as much as six weeks to heal. That provides him an inexpensive probability of returning for the Vikings’ subsequent sport, Nov. 2 on the Lions.

Wentz, who has led the Vikings to a 2-2 report since changing McCarthy, mentioned Tuesday that he’s not serious about what would possibly occur after this week.

“My mindset is to go win this sport,” Wentz mentioned, “and deal with the right here and now. I haven’t got plenty of time or vitality to assume past this one, fairly frankly. So let the longer term care for itself, however the mindset is to go 1-0 this week and discover a solution to get mentally and bodily as prepared as I can on a brief week.”