Vikings' Carson Wentz ailing, J.J. McCarthy set to practice next week

Field Level Media|published: Mon 6th October, 17:12 2025

NFL: London Games-Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns

Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) looks to pass the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One day after Carson Wentz led the Minnesota Vikings to a comeback victory in London, coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Monday that the veteran quarterback is being evaluated for a sore left shoulder.

Meanwhile, injured quarterback J.J. McCarthy is expected to resume practicing following the team's Week 6 bye, O'Connell said.

Whether the 22-year-old McCarthy is ready to take back the reins against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 remains to be seen after he suffered a high ankle sprain in a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

O'Connell was non-committal regarding Minnesota's No. 1 quarterback role after Sunday's win.

"I'm just excited we got the win today, and we're going to move forward in this bye and get as healthy as we can at all positions, and attack this thing for the next few games," O'Connell said.

At the time of the injury, McCarthy was given a recovery timeline of 2-4 weeks, which would put him in line to face the Eagles if healthy.

In two games this season, McCarthy has completed 58.5 percent of his passes (24 of 41) for 301 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Vikings' 2024 first-round pick (No. 10 overall) missed last season after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee during his first preseason game.

On Sunday, Wentz threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison with 25 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Vikings to a 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns. The veteran QB completed 25 of 34 passes for 236 yards and is 2-1 with a 69 percent completion rate (69 of 100), five TD passes and two interceptions since replacing McCarthy.

Wentz, 32, seized the Eagles' starting job straight out of North Dakota State in 2016 as the No. 2 overall pick. He spent five seasons as the Eagles' starter before moving on to Indianapolis (2021), Washington (2022), the Los Angeles Rams (2023) and the Chiefs (2024).

He owns a 49-47-1 record in his 97 career starts with a 62.9 percent completion rate, 23,169 passing yards, 158 touchdowns, 69 interceptions and an 89.6 passer efficiency rating.

--Field Level Media

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