Week 7 was originally viewed as the time when J.J. McCarthy would return to play for the Minnesota Vikings, back when he suffered a high ankle sprain in the team's second game of the 2025 season. But some have cast doubt on that plan after Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was recently non-committal to naming a starting quarterback for the team's upcoming Week 7 game.
Some have viewed O'Connell's comments from earlier this week as an indication that Carson Wentz will continue to start for Minnesota under center, while others believe it could just be the head coach attempting to make it harder for the Philadelphia Eagles to prepare for McCarthy's return on Sunday.
Well, if O'Connell was hoping to keep the Vikings' Week 7 plan for the team's young quarterback under wraps, then he probably should've made that clear to Minnesota pass rusher Jonathan Greenard.
During an appearance on the "Flag On The Play" podcast on Tuesday, Greenard was asked if the Vikings are close to kicking the injury bug, and the veteran edge rusher shared some info on McCarthy.
"We still gotta get everybody back. I think J.J. [McCarthy], he'll probably be back this week. I think he will."
Jonathan Greenard all but confirms Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will return to the field in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles
It is completely fair to have the feeling of just wanting to wait until McCarthy is actually back on the field for Minnesota after hearing Greenard's comments. But it would be incredibly odd for him to say what he said on Tuesday if he didn't have some sort of indication that the quarterback would be returning this week.
O'Connell is set to speak to the media on Wednesday, so it's possible that he will share (or confirm) more about the Vikings' quarterback situation when he steps up to the podium.
McCarthy and Wentz are also scheduled to answer questions from the local Twin Cities media on Wednesday, but it's safe to assume that both of them will stick to comments that don't give away what Minnesota's plans are for Week 7.
Thankfully, that's where guys like Greenard come in and share info about the team that O'Connell probably would prefer they keep quiet about.
Unfortunately for the Vikings' head coach, any hope he had of keeping his Week 7 quarterback plan quiet until closer to game day might have already been ruined.