EAGAN, Minn. --
J.J. McCarthy's star-crossed NFL career took another turn Monday when a seemingly innocuous right ankle roll was diagnosed as a high ankle sprain that will sideline him for two to four weeks, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Backup
Carson Wentz, whom the Vikings signed Aug. 24, is expected to start Sunday's game against the
Cincinnati Bengals, according to coach
Kevin O'Connell. At the moment, said O'Connell, the Vikings do not believe McCarthy needs to be placed on short-term injured reserve.
Undrafted rookie
Max Brosmer will be Wentz's backup.
The Vikings are also likely to be without running back
Aaron Jones, who has a hamstring injury, and are monitoring the status of a half-dozen other veterans who have been injured early this season.
"Obviously tough news there," O'Connell said, "so we've got our work cut out for us."
Of more immediate concern is McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft who missed all of his rookie season because of a strained meniscus in his right knee. He has thrown only 41 passes and played only 95 snaps in his first two NFL starts, during which he compiled the league's second-lowest QBR (20.1). At the very least, the injury will further push back the development the Vikings had committed their season to undertaking.
"It is crushing," O'Connell said, "because you just want it to be a daily process of activating every aspect of the development and learning."
O'Connell said the injury occurred late in the third quarter of a
22-6 loss to the
Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. On second and 20, McCarthy scrambled for 16 yards down the left sideline before he was tackled from behind by Falcons linebacker
Kaden Elliss.
The Vikings' blue injury tent was occupied at the time, O'Connell said, so athletic trainers evaluated McCarthy on the sideline and eventually applied an additional level of athletic tape over his cleat. He finished the game without issue, but he reported heavy soreness to the team Monday morning.
With the exception of a fourth quarter in Week 1 that produced three touchdowns in a 27-24 comeback victory over the
Chicago Bears, McCarthy has largely struggled. He has thrown for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions this season while also taking nine sacks, and his average of 3.35 seconds per throw -- second-highest in the NFL -- indicates he is holding the ball as he attempts to decipher NFL defenses.
O'Connell, however, said the decision to sideline him is not based on performance.
"Not at all," O'Connell said. "In fact, it was pretty crushing this morning to hear [about the injury]. Look, for J.J., he's in a long process, a long journey right now where there's going to be some ups and downs. And as a team, I think our ability to play a little bit more consistent around him on the offensive side -- these one-off kind of critical errors that end up being totally out of J.J.'s control -- we've got to find a way to eliminate those and limit them in any way possible. ... But no, this is a purely medical-based thing that we're dealing with right now."
Wentz, meanwhile, is on his sixth team in as many seasons and did not go to training camp this summer. The Vikings entered camp with veteran
Sam Howell behind McCarthy, but after a shaky camp, they traded Howell to the
Philadelphia Eagles and reached out to Wentz. He has some experience in similar offensive schemes, having served as a backup for Sean McVay's
Los Angeles Rams in 2023, and took first-team reps last Thursday when McCarthy missed practice to join his fiancée as she gave birth to the couple's son, Rome.
"He was really impressive last week," said O'Connell about Wentz. "Kind of stepping in, you felt the better presence in the command. He's really smart, a guy that's played a lot of football, and he's been able to get himself to a place where he's felt very comfortable these past two weeks had he needed to go in the football game. And now he'll get a week of preparation to get ready to go play."
In addition to McCarthy and Jones, the Vikings could also be without center
Ryan Kelly and left tackle
Justin Skule, both of whom went into the concussion protocol Sunday night. The team is awaiting news about four other key veterans -- left tackle
Christian Darrisaw (knee), safety
Harrison Smith (personal health issue) linebacker
Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion protocol) and cornerback
Jeff Okudah (concussion protocol).
