NFL insider provides key update on J.J. McCarthy’s injury timeline ahead of Week 8 game vs. Chargers

The Minnesota Vikings are without quarterback J.J. McCarthy since he sustained an ankle injury in the Week 2 clash against the Atlanta Falcons.

While McCarthy is progressing in his recovery, the Vikings are unsure about the exact timeline of his return. NFL insider Dianna Russini shed light on his recovery on the "Scoop City" podcast.

According to Russini, McCarthy is unlikely to return for Thursday's clash against the Los Angeles Chargers as the Vikings hope to give him a full week of practice before including him in the lineup.

“They didn’t call it a setback; they just were hoping he was going to progress faster, and he didn’t," Russini said (Timestamp 11:30 onwards). They want him to have a full week of practice. So, I think we can assume that the game against the Chargers on Thursday will probably not be realistic.”

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

The Vikings have promoted Carson Wentz to the starting role in McCarthy's absence. However, the 32-year-old is also reportedly dealing with an injury and was a limited participant in Monday's practice.

ESPN insider discussed Vikings' quarterback situation ahead of Chargers clash

ESPN's Adam Schefter believes that the Vikings are set to keep Carson Wentz in the starting role for Thursday Night Football and could turn to J.J McCarthy for Sunday's clash against the Detroit Lions. He said on Monday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show:"

"My understanding is with Carson Wentz and J.J. (McCarthy), the Vikings play a short week this week. They have the Chargers on Thursday night. I would expect that we get Carson Wentz on Thursday night. And I was told there's a chance that J.J. McCarthy would be ready for the week after at Detroit.

"So, again, I think, if Carson Wentz comes back and plays well, they win the game Thursday night, maybe that buys J.J. another week. If not, then I think J.J. could be back as soon as that week in Detroit."

After Wentz's struggles against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Vikings fans are eager for McCarthy's return, who played just two of his potential 23 games for the team since being selected in the 2024 NFL draft.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

LA Chargers Nation! Check out the latest Chargers Schedule and dive into the Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash