EAGAN, Minn. -- J.J. McCarthy is ready to hit the reset button. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback took all of the first-team reps in practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering a high right ankle sprain Sept. 14, saying afterward that the ankle feels "amazing" as he approaches Sunday's game at the Detroit Lions.
"I'm ready to go," McCarthy said. "I feel like myself again. I feel like I have those mobility things that I was concerned about going into last week and the prior weeks. So yeah, ready to go."
McCarthy sat out three full weeks of practice, in part because the ankle swelled up during the team's eight-hour flight to Dublin ahead of its Sept. 28 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He resumed practice on a limited basis Oct. 13 after the Vikings' bye week, and he underwent a rigorous workout last week to see if he could potentially return for last Thursday's game at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Coach Kevin O'Connell said at the time that "J.J. and the medical staff didn't quite feel like he was there yet," and on Wednesday McCarthy said that his foot felt like it was "in concrete" during that workout.
This week, however, the ankle had improved enough for him to move from limited to full participation in practice. It also coincided with backup Carson Wentz's decision to undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. McCarthy will start against the Lions, with rookie Max Brosmer as his backup and newly-acquired John Wolford at No. 3.
All told, McCarthy has missed 23 of his first 25 NFL games, including the playoffs because of injury.
"Definitely not something that I've been used to in playing football in my career," he said. "It's something that you don't know now, but you'll know later. God always has a plan for every single one of us and I have full faith in that, and I'm just continuing to trust my process because I'm confident in the things that I'm doing on a day-to-day basis are the right thing. So obviously you adapt and you evolve that process, but you can't lose sight of what got you here and what's going to get you to where you want to go. So yeah, it's been a roller coaster, that's for sure."
McCarthy ranked second to last in NFL QBR (20.3) at the time of his injury. During his time away, he watched film of his two starts with O'Connell. The pair emphasized a focus on "doing the simple things right."
Said O'Connell: "Is it going to be perfect? No, and it doesn't have to be. It just needs to be clear and obvious that he's got a good grasp on doing his job, Technique, fundamentals, progressions. I believe in his talent and his ability. That will show up."