Only two weeks in, J.J. McCarthy’s season has taken an unexpected turn. The Minnesota Vikings announced that the young quarterback is sidelined with a high ankle sprain suffered in the Week 2 loss to Atlanta.
The timeline for recovery is set at two to four weeks, though the team has avoided placing him on injured reserve. That keeps hope alive for his quicker return, but it has sparked a storm of chatter outside the building.
ESPN’s senior NFL insider, Adam Schefter, shared the news about McCarthy being ruled out for Sunday’s matchup against the Bengals. Several fans rushed to the comments section to share thoughts on it, while some decided to post conspiracy theories.
“Vikings saw 8 quarters of JJ and were like ‘Nope. That’s enough. Mystery injury for you,’” a fan wrote.
Vikings saw 8 quarters of JJ and were like “Nope. That’s enough. Mystery injury for you.”
— In Fickell We Trust (@MadisonMessiah) September 15, 2025
“that was fast and unexpected,” a fan wrote.“Jeez. They’ve already seen enough,” a fan wrote.
“He won’t be missed,” a fan wrote.
“So this is the excuse Vikings fans will use,” a fan wrote.
“They are benching him but saying ‘he’s injured,’” a fan wrote.
The immediate effect is that veteran Carson Wentz takes over center. The Vikings are betting on his experience to stabilize the offense, at least until McCarthy is cleared to play. Rookie Max Brosmer moves into the backup role behind Wentz.
McCarthy’s early performances add fuel to the speculation. He looked electric in Week 1 against Chicago, leading a comeback with three total touchdowns and earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The promise of that debut quickly turned sour in Week 2.
The Vikings drafted him to be their long-term answer, but the combination of turnovers, protection issues, and now another injury raises doubts about how smooth that transition will be.
Kevin O’Connell Praises J.J. McCarthy
The seriousness of McCarthy’s injury can be understood from the fact that he can be sidelined for two to four weeks. For now, he’s guaranteed to miss next Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When McCarthy picked up this injury during the last game against the Falcons, he didn’t realize how serious it could be. During a recent media interaction, Kevin O’Connell praised McCarthy for playing through pain.
“Don’t likely see this being any kind of short-term IR thing, but I do want to see…and Tyler and the group want to see…how he responds to treatment this week,” O’Connell said (2:30).
“But give him a ton of credit. Just the toughness to get that thing taped up and keep playing. That is something that we were able to determine today, so obviously tough news there,” he added.
McCarthy has been unlucky when it comes to injuries. He missed the entire last season after undergoing two surgeries for a torn meniscus.
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