After the bye, the Vikings face three dynamic defenses: the Eagles, Chargers and Lions. The Eagles and Chargers games are five days apart.
Do the Vikings want McCarthy to return at that juncture?
Here’s the better question: If the Vikings are afraid to play their second-year quarterback who was a top-10 draft pick against a good defense, what would that say about McCarthy?
Perhaps, as is often the case, the simplest explanation is correct. That would be that McCarthy, as O’Connell intimated, has a high-ankle sprain that doesn’t keep him from playing catch and walking normally, but that impedes his ability to plant, throw, scramble and run well enough to play in an NFL game.
Logically, he’ll simply return to the lineup when fully healthy, unless Carson Wentz turns into 2017 Case Keenum.
McCarthy’s teammates sound like they want him on the field.