EGAN, Minn. — The Vikings will keep quarterback Carson Wentz out for at least one more game, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday, following a week of preparation ahead of Minnesota's game against the Chargers on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
JJ McCarthy will serve as the Vikings' emergency No. 3 quarterback for the second straight week as he continues his recovery from a high right ankle sprain. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will be the backup behind Wentz.
Meanwhile, the Vikings opened a 21-day practice window for running back Aaron Jones, who has been on injured reserve since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2. O'Connell said there's a chance Jones can play in time for Thursday night's game. Jordan Mason took over as the Vikings' starting running back and racked up 380 yards and four touchdowns this season, but the Vikings especially missed Jones in the passing game.
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O'Connell and the Vikings' medical staff had McCarthy practice on the field Tuesday morning. O'Connell said he wanted “clarification” on whether McCarthy could be a candidate for Thursday's contest.
Ultimately, McCarthy remains limited, and the Vikings believe starting him Thursday night would risk re-injury. Assuming he is not called up on an emergency basis, McCarthy will miss his 22nd out of 24 regular season games with the injury since the Vikings selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
“We were encouraged by where he was and the progress he was making,” O'Connell said. “But he just wasn't there.”
If the Vikings were scheduled to play on Sunday instead of Thursday, the evaluation might be different.
When asked what threshold he'd like to see McCarthy reach before he's allowed to start, O'Connell said: “It's some moves, reaction moves in the pocket. Being able to use his athleticism to protect himself in the pocket and then progress as he's able to finish.
“I'm very pleased with the job we've done building on his foundation,” he said. “It's very evident through the work he's done and his commitment to it. It's really about, 'Hey, maybe somebody's been marginalized and I don't really know what action I have to take.'” That's where he still feels, and if he doesn't have the ability to be pain-free, we're obviously at risk of setting him back, which is going to be very, very unfortunate for the time that's been lost. “
McCarthy said last week that multiple second opinions suggested the injury could take six weeks to heal. That gives him a reasonable chance to return for the Vikings' next game, Nov. 2 against the Lions.
Wentz, who has led the Vikings to a 2-2 record since replacing McCarthy, said Tuesday that he is not thinking about what happens after this week.
“My mindset is to win this game,” Wentz said, “and focus on the here and now. Frankly, I don't have a lot of time or energy to think beyond this. So let the future take care of itself, but my mindset is to get 1-0 this week and find a way to be as ready as I can mentally and physically in this short week.”