EAGAN, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy practiced Monday for the first time since suffering a high right ankle sprain last month, but coach Kevin O'Connell was not ready to say whether he will return to the starting lineup Sunday when the team returns from its bye against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Backup Carson Wentz has started three consecutive games, leading the Vikings to a 2-1 record over that period, and has gotten to a "good place" with a sore left shoulder that hampered him before the bye, O'Connell said. McCarthy worked out with several Vikings receivers at the team facility during the bye week, but O'Connell said the effort was mostly focused on reintegrating his fundamentals after the long layoff.
"I don't necessarily want to put a percentage on where I think he's at health-wise," O'Connell said of McCarthy. "I think this week we'll be massive for our whole team, but just to see J.J. back out there getting reps and working through the process of building that foundation back up -- we got off to a really good start last week."
McCarthy compiled the NFL's second-lowest QBR (20.3) in starting the Vikings' first two games, completing 58.1% of his passes for 301 yards. He took nine sacks, accounted for three touchdowns and committed four turnovers.
McCarthy missed the team's Sept. 11 practice to join his fianc as she gave birth to the couple's son, Rome. O'Connell has noted repeatedly that McCarthy has had only one full week of practice -- heading into the Vikings' Week 1 game at Chicago -- all season.
O'Connell acknowledged that the "public" decision on Sunday's starter can be different than "what we're going to do for the game." And when asked if he considered McCarthy a possibility for Sunday's game, he postponed his answer.
"I think we've got to prepare to try to win a game on Sunday," O'Connell said. "We really want to get our team ready to go, and in the process of doing that, J.J. has his plan of attack that we want to try to make sure we maximize every single day, and prepare all of our guys to be ready to go, and make the best decision for our team and then also for individually for each one of those guys as we get closer to it.
"But not ready to say yet exactly where he'll be at towards the end of the week. Want to see how this week plays out first."
