As expected, head coach Kevin O'Connell has confirmed Carson Wentz will start at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
A short week before a Thursday night game, and the clear desire for J.J. McCarthy to have a full, normal week of practice before he takes back the starting job, meant Wentz would get at least one more start.
A high ankle sprain like McCarthy is dealing with can be a lingering injury, as he now approaches six weeks from when it happened.
How the team has handled the injury situation can be called into question in some respects, but it's clear that caution is the prevailing word, and McCarthy will not be put back on the field until he's unequivocally ready.
Before he officially named Wentz the starter against the Chargers, O'Connell got ahead of any questions that were sure to come about McCarthy.
"We did put J.J. McCarthy through an on-field workout just to see if he had a chance to make it this week.
J.J., the medical staff, [and] myself, we're all kind of encouraged about where he's at and the progress he's making, but he's just not there.
If this was a Sunday game, maybe it would be a little bit of a different story, and we could push it throughout the week, and we could see where he's at towards the end of the week, but really I look at today almost as a combination of a Wednesday-Thursday, but really it is Friday on the timeline of coming up on being 48 hours out from the game."
None of what O'Connell said there should shock anyone. Unless McCarthy was absolutely 100 percent healthy, he was not going to start against the Chargers.
So it'll be the same as it was in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, with Wentz starting, undrafted rookie Max Brosmer as the No. 2 quarterback, and McCarthy dressed as the emergency QB3.
Kevin O'Connell addresses what's holding Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy back
O'Connell was asked what McCarthy's "just not there" yet meant exactly.
"It's some of the movements, the reactionary movements within the pocket. Being able to use his athleticism to protect himself in the pocket, and then as he's able to work through progressions," O'Connell said.
I feel really good about the work we've done on his foundation of his fundamentals. That’s been pretty evident through the work that he's done. And he's really been committed to doing that. It's really just about, hey, there's maybe a guy gets edged, and I don't really know the movement I'm going to have to make.
That's where he still feels it. He doesn't have the ability to do that pain-free. We obviously risk setting him back, which would be very, very unfortunate with the time lost already, but also giving him the best chance to go out there and have success is ultimately what we're looking for."
Along with the idea that nothing that was said on Tuesday should be surprising, Alec Lewis of The Athletic shared the full transcript of what O'Connell said about the thresholds McCarthy needs to clear before he plays.
Really don't think anything from today should surprise. The Vikings have been upfront about wanting J.J. McCarthy to have a full week before he's back. They also want him healthy and refined to where, when he is back, he has the best chance of availability and development. https://t.co/cuOuXNvfsn
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) October 21, 2025
O'Connell had a little bit of snark for those who may question how healthy McCarthy has to be with the "130 percent" comment.
He also put the "he's got to work through some of that here late in the rehab stages" onus on his young quarterback, apart from any other evaluation that is ongoing.
Ultimately, it'll be surprising if McCarthy isn't healthy enough to go through a normal practice week and start in Week 9 on the road against the Detroit Lions.
If that doesn't happen, at least without a known and acknowledged setback of some sort, then there will be some legit questions in play.