It was announced that Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle sprain in the team’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and it was stated that he was set to miss Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Read more: Report: Vikings Get Horrible JJ McCarthy Injury News

Now, things have gone from bad to worse. It appears that more testing was done, and McCarthy’s return timeline has grown even larger.

According to Adam Schefter, it is not believed that the ankle sprain McCarthy suffered is set to keep him out for two to four weeks, as opposed to the original one-week layoff that was reported.

This is horrible news for McCarthy, who spent the entire 2024 season sidelined due to a meniscus tear. The 2025 season also started off on a strong point for the young passer, as he enacted a solid fourth-quarter comeback against the Chicago Bears that had everyone buzzing.

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McCarthy took some big hits against the Falcons, being sacked three times, and he fumbled the ball three times as well. Those hits clearly made an impact, and the young signal caller will now be out for a minimum of two weeks.

Depending on the severity of the sprain and the healing time needed, McCarthy could miss the next four weeks or more. This is tough news for a season that started so strongly for the Vikings.

With McCarthy out for weeks, Carson Wentz is set to take over quarterback duties. Wentz will be under center as the Vikings face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.

Following that, the Vikings have the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.

The hope would be that McCarthy can return to action in Week 5 against the Browns, but it all depends on his recovery.

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