NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will not be ready to play Week 8 as he recovers from an ankle sprain, and QB Carson Wentz will get another start.
Pelissero adds the team put McCarthy through an on-field workout on Tuesday morning and was encouraged, but they think “he’s just not there” for a short week with a game Thursday.
Additionally, Pelissero reports Minnesota is opening RB Aaron Jones‘ 21-day practice window from injured reserve, and says he could play as soon as Thursday.
Wentz, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Eagles back in 2016. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $26.7 million rookie contract that included a $16.7 million signing bonus when the Eagles picked up his fifth-year option that would have cost them $22.78 million for the 2020 season.
The Eagles signed Wentz to a four-year, $128 million extension going into the 2019 season that included $107 million in guarantees. However, Philadelphia opted to trade Wentz to the Colts for first- and third-round picks.
Wentz lasted just one year with the Colts before he was traded to the Commanders. Washington opted to release Wentz after just a year, and he later caught on with the Rams as a backup.
The Chiefs signed Wentz to a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 season. He caught on with the Vikings in August.
In 2025, Wentz has appeared in four games for the Vikings and completed 66.9 percent of his pass attempts for 1,072 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions, adding 11 carries for 57 yards.
McCarthy, 22, led Michigan to a National Championship in 2023 and was named first-team All-Big Ten. The Vikings used the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy.
He signed a four-year, $21,854,796 contract that includes a $12,714,396 signing bonus and will carry a $3,973,599 cap figure for the 2024 season. The contract includes a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
In 2025, McCarthy has made two starts for the Vikings and completed 24 of 41 passes (58.5 percent) for two touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also rushed seven times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
We’ll have more on the Vikings’ quarterback situation as the news is available.
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