The Minnesota Vikings are travelling to Los Angeles for Week 8 as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers, but the question is, will their QB1, JJ McCarthy, be playing? The former Michigan star, whose team will be taking on his former Wolverines coach, Jim Harbaugh, on Thursday, has not yet played since Week 2. Harbaugh, now the Chargers’ head coach, coached McCarthy on that championship-winning Michigan team in 2023.
Before he got injured, McCarthy had a total of 301 passing yards and was 11-of-21 (52.4%) in passing, scoring no touchdown passes with two interceptions. In rushing, he had 25 yards on five carries during his only two games of the season so far.
What Happened to JJ McCarthy?
During Week 2, McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain and has not played since, The injury itself was not deemed to be too serious, as the Vikings even kept him out of the injured reserve despite missing over four weeks of play due to the sprain.
While this was only a sprain, the stress of constant travel caused more complications, as McCarthy’s ankle had additional swelling as the team travelled to Ireland for the Dublin games. This was believed to have kept him back even further. He has started practicing with the team already, though these have been limited as the team does not want him to injure himself any further.
When Will JJ McCarthy Be Back?
JJ McCarthy practicing again is seen as a good sign, though when he will return is still up in the air. For Week 8 against his old coach’s team, he still does not have any game status listed, though it is quite possible that the team plans to continue resting him up so that he would not aggravate his ankle any further.
He is not actually expected to play against the Chargers, with reports indicating that the team wants to see him in a full week of practice before having him return. The team actually wanted to have him back sooner, but having his ankle swell up again during their international games had placed a damper on him returning sooner.
JJ McCarthy Fantasy Outlook
For now, it is best to sit McCarthy, as he is not expected to play this week. With McCarthy still out, it is best for Fantasy managers to stick with Carson Wentz for now, especially as the Vikings are still playing it safe on the subject of his return.
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