When Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, it was first projected that he would return to start for Minnesota by Week 7 after the team's bye week. Well, fast forward and Week 7 is here and McCarthy isn't expected to start vs. the Eagles. Carson Wentz will instead start in his fourth straight contest.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell hasn't given an exact projected date for McCarthy to return from injury. It seems that the team is being cautious to bring McCarthy back until he is fully healthy to avoid him missing more time in the future.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reminded NFL fans on Sunday that doctors first expressed that McCarthy was expected to miss six weeks, meaning he would return for the team's Week 9 matchup vs. the Lions on Sunday, Nov. 2. Even though some reports in the past weeks said that McCarthy would return earlier than that, it appears that the quarterback could be in line to return when the doctors originally predicted.
There seemed to be a possibility McCarthy could play this week as he began practicing again leading up to the Week 7 matchup. The quarterback told reporters this week that he wasn't "100%" recovered from the injury. He ended up being a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, too.
Barring any setbacks, there's a strong chance McCarthy's return game will be in Week 9 vs. the Lions, which would be a huge NFC North rivalry game for the young quarterback. He already played the Bears in Week 1 (resulting in a 27-24 win for his first NFL victory), but he'll get a better taste of the intense division when facing Detroit.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When J.J. McCarthy Is Expected to Return to Vikings From Injury.
