The Minnesota Vikings still aren’t sure whether J.J. McCarthy will be ready for their Week 13 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. The second-year quarterback remains in concussion protocol, so his availability is up in the air.
Moreover, it appears that McCarthy won’t get the green light to play against the Seahawks. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on November 26 that McCarthy isn’t expected to play after entering the protocol.
Nonetheless, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t ruling out McCarthy just yet after speaking with the media on November 26.
“He’s cleared enough of the protocol to at least participate in a limited capacity [on November 26]; that’s part of the next phases of it,” O’Connell told reporters. “He’s in the protocol, and as that goes and as the medical process plays out, I think as far as the zero hour, I don’t necessarily know if we’re looking at it like that. But you do want to take into account what his preparation been like, what has the practice week been like with what he’s able to do, while also knowing that ultimately this is not talking about a hand or an ankle or anything like that.
“We’re talking about his head, and it’s obviously something that, as a former player and just thinking about it from that context, we want to, for sure, make sure we defer to the medical team, but then also what we feel is best. We’re still not in place to declare anything yet, just listening to where it’s at right now and where it could get to. But we’re obviously going to be smart, both for what’s best for our team and what’s best, most importantly, for J.J.”
Bruce Arians Gives Blunt Advice to J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy went 12 for 19 for 87 yards, threw two picks, and was sacked five times in Minnesota’s 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers on November 23.
Since coming back from his injury, he has been under a heavy spotlight from national NFL outlets, and the rough outing against the Packers only pushed the scrutiny further.
During the November 25 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,“ former NFL coach Bruce Arians offered him straightforward guidance, saying he still believes McCarthy has what it takes to make it work in Minnesota.
“The alter ego thing, it needs to be AP,“ Arians told Pat McAfee. “Accurate passer. We don’t need snot bubbles and tears. You play quarterback, not linebacker. We don’t need all this hyped-up [ __ ]. Just go [ __ ] play quarterback and be relaxed and throw the damn ball to the right guy because you got the talent… Just relax. Get rid of ‘9‘ first thing. Let’s get rid of ‘9‘ and let’s get J.J. in there and play.”
Mike Florio Weighs In on Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
However, whether McCarthy plays against Seattle might be irrelevant for one NFL insider. NBC Sports’ Mike Florio believes the Vikings would be better off starting someone else at center, which would probably mean Max Brosmer getting the start, given the struggles he’s seen from McCarthy—even if he clears concussion protocol in time for Week 13.
“[McCarthy] needs to take a step back,“ Florio said on the November 25 edition of “Pro Football Talk Live.“ “He’s trying too hard; I feel like he’s thinking too much, and he’s gotten himself into this cycle that he can’t break out of.
“I think it’s useful for him at this point to get a break from playing because it just feels like you can just feel that whole demeanor and the body language and the look on the face. I feel like everything about J.J. McCarthy is [that] he wants to go out there, and on the very next play he wants to make the play that wins the Super Bowl.”
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