Sign in

Minnesota Vikings accused of lying about JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz named as starting quarterback in huge move

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has been accused of using JJ McCarthy's injury as an excuse.

Published on: Oct 18, 2025, 19:38:48 IST
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

The Minnesota Vikings benched JJ McCarthy for Week 7, and named Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback. According to NFL insider Ben Devine, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell used McCarthy's injury as an excuse, and benched him due to poor form.

JJ McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before a game. (Getty Images via AFP)
JJ McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before a game. (Getty Images via AFP)

On Friday, O'Connell claimed that McCarthy would be the emergency third-string quarterback behind Wentz and Max Brosmer. "I thought (Carson) had a good week of practice as well as JJ," he said.

Also Read: Will Tyler Higbee play in Week 7: Huge injury update on Rams star ahead of Jaguars game

"Feel good about him being available but he will be the emergency third quarterback. We went into the last game with two (QBs) and didn't quite feel like that was the smartest thing to do- and feel good about where he'd be at if he had to play in that third quarterback capacity."

Ahead of facing his former team, the Eagles, Wentz said, "Earlier in my career, maybe I had a different feeling. But at the same time, you look over there and it's, I'm not even sure if there's anybody on the defensive side that I played with. You know, it just looks different."

"So, it's another opponent. A lot of respect for those guys. ... There's still a lot of good people that I have a lot of care for and respect for. But at the same time, that feels like multiple lifetimes ago," he added.

  • HT Sports Desk
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    HT Sports Desk

    At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more.Read More

Catch all the latest Sports News, scores, and highlights in one place. Stay updated with real-time coverage of your favorite games and athletes along with Lionel Messi latest updates.