Vikings Rookie Quarterbowl Sidelined with Head Injury
Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy has been placed in the NFL's concussion protocol, dealing another significant blow to the young player's difficult start to his professional career. The 22-year-old signal-caller reported symptoms after his team's 23-6 defeat against the Green Bay Packers.
Protocol Initiation Following Flight Home
Head coach Kevin O'Connell disclosed that McCarthy first reported concussion-related symptoms during the team's flight back to Minnesota. Vikings medical staff made the decision to place him in the protocol after conducting evaluations upon their return. O'Connell declined to provide specific details regarding the nature or severity of the symptoms McCarthy experienced.
The coach did not completely rule out McCarthy for this Sunday's upcoming game against the Seattle Seahawks but confirmed that rookie backup Max Brosmer would be working with the first-team offence during practice this week. McCarthy's participation depends entirely on him clearing the protocol.
"He reported some kind of symptoms in regards to his head, and we wanted to get back here once we kind of heard he was evaluated last night," O'Connell explained. "After completing those tests, our training staff and doctors and medical team have decided that the right place for him is to put him in the protocol for now."
A Challenging Start to an NFL Career
This injury represents the latest setback for the former Michigan star. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season while recovering from knee surgery and has already sat out five games this year with a high ankle sprain.
His performance on the field has been underwhelming. In the loss to the Packers, McCarthy's stat line was particularly concerning: he completed 12 of 19 passes for just 87 yards, threw two interceptions, and was sacked five times.
According to ESPN's metrics, his situation appears even more dire. McCarthy's quarterback rating (QBR) stands at a meagre 24.8 after six NFL starts. This places him 33rd out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks this season and ranks among the very worst career starts for any quarterback over the past ten years.
With tenth-year veteran Carson Wentz out for the remainder of the season following shoulder surgery, the Vikings' quarterback options are severely limited. The only other quarterback on the roster is 30-year-old journeyman John Wolford, who is currently on the practice squad.
The Vikings, now holding a 4-7 record, have lost three consecutive games and face increasing pressure to find solutions on both sides of the ball as their playoff hopes continue to diminish.
