Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2, and earlier this week ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that McCarthy was expected to miss 2-4 weeks. On Sunday, CBS’ Tracy Wolfson, who’s in Minnesota to cover the Vikings-Bengals Week 3 matchup, provided more clarity on McCarthy’s status. Per Wolfson, McCarthy will travel with the team overseas to Ireland for their Week 4 matchup and be with the team for their Week 5 matchup in London against the Cleveland Browns, but he’s going to rehab his injury and is unlikely to play against the Steelers.
“J McCarthy (high ankle sprain) didn’t go on IR [because] he would’ve had to miss 4 games. He will be in Europe with the team the next two weeks and rehab there. Expectation is he gets the bye week after to recover and then returns vs Eagles. Timeline can be moved up if he feels good though,” Wolfson wrote on Twitter
With McCarthy out, the Steelers will likely face Carson Wentz, who is making the start for the Vikings today. Wentz was signed by the Vikings during the preseason after the team traded backup QB Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, has bounced around the league the last few seasons after a promising start to his career with the Eagles. He served as the backup to Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs last year, making one start and throwing for 118 yards in a loss.
Prior to his stint with Kansas City, Wentz was a backup for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. He made seven starts for the Washington Commanders in 2022 and started all 17 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. He’s faced the Steelers twice in his career, going 1-1 against the team.
McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season in 2024 with a knee injury, won NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 1 after leading the Vikings to a come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears. McCarthy threw for 143 yards and two touchdowns and added 25 yards and a score on the ground in that game, but struggled in a Week 2 loss against the Atlanta Falcons. He played the entire game but head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday that McCarthy’s ankle was sore and he was likely to miss time.
If Wentz does start as expected, it will be the first of two backup quarterbacks the Steelers will face in their next three games. In Week 7, the team will likely see QB Jake Browning, who is starting for the Bengals with Joe Burrow out for at least three months with a toe injury. It’s a key stretch for the Steelers, who are looking to rebound today against the New England Patriots after a disappointing Week 2 loss against the Seattle Seahawks.
