"J.J. McCarthy is 100% being benched": Packers insider claims Kevin O'Connell & Vikings are trying to protect rookie QB despite injury scratch

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday's 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Monday that the quarterback is unlikely to play in the team's Week 3 showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, Packers insider Zach Jacobson does not believe McCarthy is being benched because of an injury. While responding to a tweet by NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Jacobson claimed that O'Connell's decision is likely to protect his rookie quarterback from the media after their Week 2 loss at home.

"He is 100% being benched and they're trying to shield him from the media lmao," Jacobson tweeted.

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The Vikings drafted McCarthy with the 10th pick last year. However, he missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to an injury.

McCarthy made his debut with a season-opening victory against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Despite a slow start, he completed 13 of the 20 passes he attempted for 143 yards and three total touchdowns, helping the Vikings to a 27-24 win.

However, he struggled in Week 2 against the Falcons. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards while throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns. The only points the Vikings put up were courtesy of two field goals by Will Reichard.

Retired Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman skeptical about J.J. McCarthy's future with the Vikings

After the Vikings' Week 1 victory over the Bears, former Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman expressed skepticism about J.J. McCarthy, questioning whether the quarterback was a good fit for the team.

"Not sure JJ McCarthy is the answer in Minnesota," Sherman tweeted. "This is the danger of letting the guy who you had success with walk for a guy you 'think' can do the job at a high level."

After the Vikings' loss to the Falcons on Sunday, Sherman doubled down on his remark about McCarthy.

"Bump. Still not sure he's the answer," Sherman tweeted.

With J.J. McCarthy set to miss Week 3, the Vikings will turn to backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who signed with the team in August after spending last season with the Chiefs. Undrafted free agent signee Max Brosmer is also on the QB depth chart.

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by Priyam Hazarika