Judging from seeing J.J. McCarthy, quarterback of Minnesota’s opponent this weekend, the Minnesota Vikings, recover from a similar high right ankle sprain suffered on September 14. McCarthy has been getting some good news but his ankle is still not completely healed. He told the media just a few weeks ago that the injury was “Really frustrating” pain and disappointment palpable in his long road to recovery.
Given the severity of his injury, McCarthy is understandably looking for highly regarded second opinions. He hopes to solidify his recovery timeline, which could stretch as long as six weeks. His status for this weekend’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles remains up in the air. He was listed as limited during Wednesday’s practice. Coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear that he wanted to see McCarthy fully recovered before putting him back on the field.
We’ve got to be smart about it,” McCarthy said, pointing out the importance of caution in his reintroduction. O’Connell’s goal is to get McCarthy to be able to transfer all of those lower-body mechanics and footwork into a game-like scenario.
The coach expressed the need for McCarthy to get back on the grass in uniform, practicing with real live reps against a pass rush. He explained, “I think the big thing is just getting him back on the grass in uniform, practicing, getting real live reps of a pass rush and taking drops and applying some of the things that he’s worked really hard on as of late as he’s kind of gotten to that phase of his rehab.“
Carson Wentz has been named the starter. Since the injury to McCarthy, he has guided the Vikings to an impressive 2-1 record. Wentz will make his fourth straight start this Sunday against his former Eagles teammates. He acknowledged the importance of learning from past mistakes, stating, “It’s just in the heat of the moment, how do you think? How does your mind work? What instincts take over? So it’s always something I come back to and watch film and it’s like, ‘That was probably dumb. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to learn.’”
As McCarthy continues with one-on-one work alongside assistant coaches while managing his recovery, he remains committed to limiting the hits he takes in future games. The entire Vikings organization is understandably hoping for good news on his condition. Fans, too, have gone from anger to optimism to anxiety as they await the return game.
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