EAGAN, Minn. — J.J. McCarthy’s high right ankle sprain is “getting there” but is not yet 100%, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback said Wednesday in his first comments since suffering the injury Sept. 14.
McCarthy also revealed that he received “well-respected second opinions” that indicated his timetable to return could be up to six weeks. He was limited in practice Wednesday.
While coach Kevin O’Connell hasn’t named a starter for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Wednesday’s circumstances indicated that Carson Wentz is in line to make his fourth consecutive start.
Wentz, who has been dealing with a sore left shoulder, was a full participant Wednesday.
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McCarthy called the ankle injury “really annoying.” When asked if he thinks he is at a point where he could play, he joked that he would play even if his ankle were cut off.
“But we’ve got to be smart here,” McCarthy added, “and understand there’s a lot of things that go into play, and at the end of the day, I’m just going to do what I’m told and try to get better as fast as possible.”
O’Connell has said he wants McCarthy to be 100% recovered when he returns to the lineup, in part to ensure he can carry his lower-body mechanics and footwork into a game. O’Connell and other offensive coaches took McCarthy through a series of throwing workouts during the Vikings’ bye week in what appears to be a process that isn’t designed to be quick.
Asked what he is looking to see from McCarthy this week, O’Connell said: “I think the big thing is just getting him back on the grass in uniform, practicing, getting real live reps of a pass rush and taking drops and applying some of the things that he’s worked really hard on as of late as he’s kind of gotten to that phase of his rehab. Then when he does that, instant dialogue about what he’s able to do and what it felt like and, ‘Hey, let’s log that away.’ And then if he doesn’t do the same thing, it’s going to be [the same]. I’m having a blast coaching him. It started last week when he was able to really start ramping up a little bit as he gets there and that one-on-one work and then obviously the work he does with [assistant coaches] is going to be critical.”
Wentz has led the Vikings to a 2-1 record since McCarthy’s injury. Wentz’s shoulder injury was the result of a hard hit he took at the end of a scramble during the Vikings’ 21-17 victory in Week 5 over the Cleveland Browns.
At 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, Wentz has always been a physical player. He joked Wednesday that he will reemphasize a long-held pledge to limit the hits he takes.
“It’s definitely something you think about,” he said. “It’s just in the heat of the moment, how do you think? How does your mind work? What instincts take over? And so it’s always something I come back to and watch film and it’s like, ‘That was probably dumb. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to learn.’ “I hate to say it, but I’ve been saying that to myself for 10 years. But still, always room to grow, and when next time I slide, I’ll be just as hyped as everybody else.”
