EAGAN, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz will make his fourth consecutive start Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, coach Kevin O'Connell announced Friday.
The decision marked another game without original starter J.J. McCarthy, who returned to practice this week as he continues recovering from the high right ankle sprain he suffered Sept. 14. But McCarthy said Wednesday that the ankle was not yet 100%, noting that multiple second opinions indicated a recovery timetable of up to six weeks. McCarthy was limited in each practice this week, and O'Connell has said he does not want to play him in a game until the ankle is no longer an issue.
McCarthy will be the emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game, with rookie Max Brosmer again serving as Wentz's backup. It's rare to need a third quarterback during a game, but O'Connell said "I feel comfortable enough in what would be considered that kind of emergency capacity" to have McCarthy in uniform.
"He got a ton of reps this week, both with the first group," O'Connell said, "and also with getting some real good reps with that [scout] team of feeling the rush ... and really working on some things that are really starting to come to fruition. So, I was proud of the way he attacked the week, and I know he knows he's not quite all the way there yet. He's progressing in a really good way."
Wentz has played for six teams in the past six seasons, but he was drafted by the Eagles in 2016 and remained with the organization for five seasons. He has played against them once, losing 24-8 when he was with the Washington Commanders in 2022, and he said earlier this week that he left Philadelphia too long ago to feel anything sentimental about Sunday's game.
"Maybe earlier in my career maybe I had a different feeling," he said, "but at the same time, you look over there and I'm not even sure there's anybody on the defensive side that I've played with. 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 still have a lot of care for and respect for, but at the same time, that feels like multiple lifetimes ago at this point."
Wentz signed Aug. 24 with the Vikings to replace Sam Howell, whom the Vikings had considered as McCarthy's backup before trading him to the Eagles at the end of training camp. Wentz has led the Vikings to a 2-1 record in three starts after McCarthy's injury, completing 69% of his passes for 759 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. His QBR (40.5) ranks No. 28 in the NFL.
He suffered a left shoulder injury Oct. 5 against the Cleveland Browns, but missed only one snap and returned to play with a harness. He continued wearing the harness in practice this week but was a full participant each day.