Vikings' J.J. McCarthy expected to miss 2–4 weeks with high-ankle sprain

J.J. McCarthy is expected to miss two to four weeks with a high-ankle sprain suffered in the Minnesota Vikings' Sunday night loss to the Atlanta Falcons, ESPN reported Monday. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said McCarthy was "very sore" after the injury and that the team did not plan to have him available for their Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"We are not planning on having [McCarthy] for Sunday," O'Connell told reporters. "I don’t see this being any kind of short-term IR thing, but I do want to see how he responds to treatment this week." With McCarthy sidelined, the Vikings are expected to turn to veteran backup Carson Wentz to run the offense.

McCarthy was sacked six times and finished with two interceptions and no touchdown passes in the 22-6 home loss. The performance followed a debut against the Chicago Bears in which he was sacked three times but engineered a fourth-quarter comeback. Across his first two NFL starts this season, McCarthy has completed 24 of 41 passes for 301 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, and his QBR of 20.4 ranks 32nd of 33 qualified quarterbacks entering Week 3.

McCarthy missed the entire 2024 season after being selected in the first round following a meniscus tear in training camp. That injury opened the door for Sam Darnold to lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record last season; Darnold is now with the Seattle Seahawks and is 1-1 to start the 2025 campaign.

O'Connell's comments left open the possibility that McCarthy could return later in the two- to four-week window depending on his response to treatment. In the meantime, Wentz — a 32-year-old veteran who has served as a backup in recent seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs — is expected to get the start and manage an offense that lost rhythm without its rookie quarterback on the field.

The Vikings are contending with multiple injuries. Veteran running back Aaron Jones Sr. exited the Falcons game with a hamstring injury. Minnesota's offensive plans will be tested again Sunday against a Bengals team that also faces uncertainty at quarterback: Joe Burrow could require surgery for turf toe suffered against the Jacksonville Jaguars and potentially miss a significant portion of the regular season.

The Vikings opened the season seeking to integrate McCarthy after a delayed start to his rookie year, and Sunday’s setback adds to an already complex injury picture for the franchise. Minnesota will monitor McCarthy’s progress through the week, with further updates expected as treatment and evaluations continue.