Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed on Monday that beginning quarterback J.J. McCarthy is coping with a excessive ankle sprain and can miss their Week 3 residence matchup towards the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. O’Connell stated that he doesn’t anticipate the younger QB to be positioned on IR, however ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported afterwards that he might miss 2-4 weeks.
McCarthy sustained the harm throughout the workforce’s 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday evening. The second-year quarterback had an especially tough outing within the primetime matchup, going 11-21 for 158 yards with two interceptions whereas taking six sacks and 11 QB hits all through the night. The beating that he took served as a pointy actuality verify after main the Vikings to a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback victory over the Chicago Bears simply six days prior.
The 2024 first-round choose has already handled the harm bug in his younger professional profession as he missed the whole lot of his rookie season on account of a torn meniscus in his proper knee. If Sunday is the one sport that he sits out with this ankle sprain, then he’d be set to return for his or her Week 4 worldwide matchup towards the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin. In any other case, we received’t see McCarthy on the sphere till October if Schefter’s report involves fruition.
McCarthy entered the season with an common draft place of 19, so most fantasy managers had him tabbed as a backup via the primary two weeks of the common season. Veteran Carson Wentz will step in Minnesota’s beginning QB in his absence, however McCarthy managers ought to have already got higher choices to lean on.
This might additionally imply extra work for the 1-2 punch of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones on the bottom and they are going to be going up towards a Bengals protection that has a detrimental dashing EPA via two video games. With Cincinnati additionally compelled to begin its backup QB on account of Joe Burrow’s harm, this matchup may very well come all the way down to the facet that may get its run sport happening Sunday.
