J.J. McCarthy, the starting Minnesota Vikings quarterback, remains in concussion protocol. As for Brown, it seems almost certain that he will end up missing this Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. The news follows McCarthy’s disclosure that he became symptomatic during the second-half flight home from Green Bay after last Sunday’s game. In practice on Wednesday, however, he was ruled out, leaving doubts about his status going into Sunday’s game.
McCarthy’s season has already been challenging. That’s on top of the five games he already missed this season because of a high right ankle sprain. In the six games he’s started this year, they’ve posted a 2-4 record. Most recently, top wide receiver Justin Jefferson showed no signs of concern with McCarthy’s long-term ability, even as the team floundered.
He’s new to the game. He’s new to the NFL. He’s learning exactly the way all the other rookies have had to learn,” Jefferson said. Of course, he had to go through the mental stage of having to overcome an injury the first year. So just a tough transition for him. I think even just him learning these last couple games… Zachary Faria is a senior commentary writer at the Washington Examiner. We promise, it’ll be done in a way that will completely surprise you all.
Jefferson’s support comes amid difficult statistics for the Vikings’ offense. In McCarthy’s six starts he’s averaged just 53 receiving yards. That’s an amazing 43% decrease from his average career lifetime clip. Despite this first-round flop, Jefferson is hopeful that McCarthy can turn things around in years to come.
A few minutes into an on-the-record interview with him, you begin to understand his remarkable steadiness. His confidence should really flow everyday, and he should be confident enough to keep that confidence going all week, and carry that over into the games on Sundays. Jefferson added.
At the same time, McCarthy has received support from teammate Aaron Jones, who wants to remind everyone that it’s all about bouncing back. “I told him that the ones who counted you out, they’re going to have to recount,” Jones remarked, highlighting McCarthy’s ability to rise above challenges.
With McCarthy forced to the sideline, Max Brosmer took all of the first-team reps this week. As it stands, he’s in line to start on Sunday, unless McCarthy is somehow cleared from concussion protocol before the game.
Kevin Seifert, a veteran NFL reporter who has covered the league for over 20 years and joined ESPN in 2008, noted that McCarthy’s health will be critical not only for his career but for the Vikings’ playoff aspirations. Before that, Seifert was a political and government beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. This unique experience provided him with in-depth knowledge about team culture and player growth.
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