The Minnesota Vikings have decided who their starting quarterback will be for the Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, O'Connell announced that quarterback Carson Wentz will get the nod once again, with fellow signal-caller J.J. McCarthy serving as the emergency third quarterback.
"Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell says Carson Wentz will start Thursday vs. Chargers. J.J. McCarthy will be the emergency third QB. The game being played on a short week impacts things," Jones relayed.
O'Connell added that if the Vikings were playing on Sunday, McCarthy might've had a chance to play. So, that means McCarthy has a shot to return in Week 9.
McCarthy has been dealing with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 2 and he hasn't played in a game since. McCarthy did show signs of progress last week, though, as the Vikings quarterback logged three limited sessions.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that the hope is McCarthy will be back in Week 9 for the game against the Detroit Lions.
"Everybody wants to know when J.J. McCarthy will be back. The fact of the matter is when he sprained his ankle in Week 2, it was supposed to be a six-week injury," Schefter said.
"That means it's unlikely he'll back next week against the Chargers. They're hopeful he'll be back the week after at Detroit in Week 9," Schefter added.
While he struggled in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Wentz has played pretty solid football overall. Minnesota is 2-2 with him at the helm.
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