Vikings Make Unfortunate QB Announcement Before Facing Bengals

In Week 3 of his second NFL season, J.J. McCarthy finds himself in an unfortunately familiar position with the Minnesota Vikings: injured. On Friday, the Vikings made their final decision on the former No. 10 pick ahead of their tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.

McCarthy missed his rookie season with a torn meniscus that he suffered in the Vikings’ 2024 preseason opener.

Now, after two starts, McCarthy is set to miss at least the next two games, if not more.

J.J. McCarthy Officially Ruled Out For Vikings-Bengals

McCarthy suffered an ankle injury in the Vikings’ Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, finishing the contest and reporting discomfort in the aftermath. The Vikings did not place him on injured reserve, which means he does not have to miss four games.

That is a potentially good sign about the youngster’s recovery. The Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell could take a cautious approach, though, given his history.

He will not play or even suit up on Sunday against the Bengals, though.

McCarthy has thrown for 301 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions on 58.5% completion this season. In his stead, the Vikings are starting former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft.

Wentz will have less than one month with the Vikings when he takes his first historic snap as the starter against the Bengals, and he noted the lessons he has learned that could help him.

But McCarthy is not the only absence Minnesota must account for, either.

Vikings Rule Out 2 More Players

In addition to McCarthy, the Vikings also ruled out starting center Ryan Kelly and backup-turned-starting offensive tackle Justin Skule.

Kelly signed a two-year, $18 million contract, joining his former Indianapolis Colts teammate and fellow 2025 free agent Will Fries on a revamped offensive line for the Vikings. His history of concussions has garnered renewed attention amid his latest bout.

Skule has filled in at left tackle for the first two games in place of Christian Darrisaw.

That means the Vikings will be without their starting QB (McCarthy), center (Kelly), and fill-in LT1 (Skule), and they are not exactly out of the woods elsewhere on the roster.

Andrew Van Ginkel, Christian Darrisaw, Harrison Smith Among Question Marks

Fortunately for the Vikings, even with McCarthy out, Darrisaw could make his 2025 debut after missing the first two games recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season. A former first-round pick in the 2021 draft, his return would alleviate concerns about Wentz’s blindside.

He will already have a rookie in Donovan Jackson at left guard and a backup as his batterymate at center. Moreover, the Vikings could be without a pair of defensive starters, too.

Andrew Van Ginkel and Harrison Smith are both questionable for the tilt against the Bengals.

The Bengals, who will be without their starting QB, Joe Burrow, are catching a break. Van Ginkel, who missed the loss to the Falcons, and Smith, who has yet to take the field this season, are Pro Bowlers who will miss the contest.

The Vikings are banged up early, and they must overcome that to keep themselves afloat until they can get healthier and continue with their playoff aspirations.

Dan Campbell Already Putting New Lions Coach in the Hot Seat

Even though the Detroit Lions healthily beat the Chicago Bears at Ford Field in Detroit, the team is already focused their next matchup, which is a big one. On Monday, September 22, the Lions will take on the Baltimore Ravens for Monday Night Football on the road. This game would be tough even in a home setting, but it will be extra difficult in Baltimore.

The Detroit Lions, of course, lost their initial game against the Green Bay Packers, and it wasn’t close. That hurt, but it was great to see them come back the following week and win by so much over the Chicago Bears. But, Lions head coach Dan Campbell and the crew haven’t forgotten that first game.

Ahead of the Monday night showdown, Campbell is putting the heat on his players and coaching staff. Even though the Lions are clear underdogs in this matchup, he wants to pull off a surprise victory, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just another chance to prove the naysayers wrong.

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Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Sends a Message

Heading into Monday’s game, Campbell is putting pressure on coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to have the defense ready to take on the NFL’s top offense, noting that, “We can’t give anything away on defense. We’ve gotta be very disciplined,” Lions insider Eric Woodyard reports of our favorite Metallica man.

So, Campbell is already putting some heat on Sheppard. But, Sheppard understands the pressure at hand, and on Friday, September 19, he told reporters that he’s lost sleep over it.

“This daunting matchup will be Sheppard’s first challenge as defensive coordinator,” Efstathios Savvidis of Detroit Jock City notes in a Thursday, September 18 feature. “So far, his unit has performed alright at best, ranking 17th against the run (106), 12th against the pass (196.5), tied 16th in sacks (4), and 21st in points allowed (24). ”

He adds, “This week, facing an intimidating offense, he must prepare his unit to limit the big plays from their high-powered offense.”

It’ll be a huge test for the Lions’ defense, and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson will likely be leading the pack on the field. “It’s going to be a challenge for the defense, but they must limit the Ravens and give Jared Goff and the offense a chance to outscore them,” Savvidis notes.

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Ben Johnson and Jared Goff After the Detroit Lions Game

If you haven’t see this yet, this is absolutely a moment that you need to witness. After the Lions’ win over the Bears, Johnson first had a very quick handshake with Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. Then, footage caught Goff trying to catch up to his former boss and shake his hand.

Goff rushed over to Johnson and tried to catch him before he left the field, but Johnson didn’t seemed interested in at all. In a video shared on X by Dov Kleiman on Tuesday, September 16, Kleiman notes, “Ben Johnson’s beef with the Lions is real. Jared Goff literally had to chase him down. He didn’t wait to say hi to anyone.” This is a wild look and not a great one for Johnson.

It’s going to be epic to see these teams go at it again before the regular season is over. Reach out to me with your thoughts on it all.

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