It's been about a month since we last saw Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suit up for a game, but the hope is that he will be back in the starting lineup when the team returns from its bye for a Week 7 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.
While McCarthy was originally expected to miss four weeks, at the most, because of the ankle injury he suffered back in Week 2, that doesn't seem to be anything close to a guarantee currently.
On Sunday, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero shared an update on Minnesota's quarterback situation, and it really only created more questions about everything that's going on.
"The Vikings' quarterback situation is murky, to say the least. J.J. McCarthy, I'm told, got good work during the bye week. He should be able to return to practice this week, but McCarthy is still not 100 percent on that ankle.
[Minnesota has to] see his mobility, they've got to see how the ankle responds, and they've got to make sure he is comfortable and in a groove from an operational perspective before they put him back out on the field."
Still unclear if J.J. McCarthy will start for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles
In addition to his update about McCarthy, Pelissero also shared that Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz "could be limited in practice" this week because of a shoulder injury that he suffered in the team's Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Wednesday is going to be very important this week, as it will be when Minnesota releases its first injury report for the Week 7 contest against the Eagles.
If McCarthy is listed on the Vikings' first injury report as a limited participant in practice or a DNP, then his chances of playing next Sunday will likely be low.
But if he's listed as a full participant on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, it will seem safe to expect him back on the field in Week 7 against Philadelphia, especially if Wentz is also limited with his shoulder injury.
Minnesota won two of the three games that McCarthy was inactive for this season, so its not like they are in an incredibly desperate need for him to return before he's ready. But he's the quarterback that the Vikings want to build their future around, so the quicker they can get him back on the field, the sooner he will get to resume his development under Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell.