Sportsnaut
A Week 2 injury to J.J. McCarthy threw a wrench of an unknown size into the Minnesota Vikings‘ season. Week 3 gave Carson Wentz his first chance at proving he could be an effective short-term replacement for the 2024 first-round pick. It would even be fair to argue that he provided a spark for a sputtering offense averaging 16.5 points per game through two weeks.
The Vikings ended up scoring 48 points, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since racking up 49 against the New York Giants in 2015. Wentz himself was responsible for two passing touchdowns, running back Jordan Mason added two more on the ground.
Kicker Will Reichard chipped in with one of the 20 longest field goals in NFL history, a 62-yard beauty. Defensively, cornerback free agent signee Isaiah Rodgers made history by becoming the first player to record a pick-six, a fumble returned for touchdown, plus force two fumbles in a single game.
Add it all up, and Vikings fans were able to forget about McCarthy’s injury for one Sunday afternoon. Though, many may have missed the injury update to the 22-year-old that was offered at the outset of the game.
According to what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told CBS Sports sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, McCarthy is traveling with the rest of Minnesota’s team to Europe next week. That will kick off a two-week stay, first in Ireland, then in London for matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
As for McCarthy’s return to the field as the Vikings’ starting quarterback? He’ll continue to rehab in Europe with the Vikings’ training staff, then he’ll return to Minnesota for a week of rest in Week 6 for the bye.
According to O’Connell, McCarthy “will hopefully play Week 7.” However, Wolfson added that McCarthy’s injury recovery timeline could potentially be accelerated “if he feels good.”
While coaches would never admit it, McCarthy’s injury recovery timeline could also depend on how Wentz performs in his absence. If he can get the Vikings on a winning streak, in part thanks to more offensive consistency, the Vikings could very well slow-play McCarthy’s return a bit.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings
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