EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy cleared concussion protocol Thursday, his last step in returning to the beginning lineup in time for Sunday’s sport towards the Washington Commanders.
McCarthy suffered the concussion throughout a 23-6 loss in Week 12 to the Inexperienced Bay Packers and missed final week’s 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Talking Thursday with native reporters, he stated he could not specify a play that precipitated the damage.
“Each single sport type of feels such as you get kicked within the face by a donkey,” McCarthy stated amid a season through which he has missed as many video games (six) due to accidents as he has performed.
The Vikings hope McCarthy can stay within the lineup for his or her last 5 regular-season video games as they sit up for 2026 roster choices. Coach Kevin O’Connell stated this week that he has deserted his seasonlong deal with McCarthy’s mechanics and as an alternative needs him to focus on decision-making and avoiding the type of open-field contact that precipitated his two main accidents this yr — a excessive proper ankle sprain in Week 2 and the concussion.
“There can be time to basically deal with issues and proceed constructing this layer and a basis that can be necessary for him into the long run,” O’Connell stated. “However now it seems like he is bought sufficient expertise. He is aware of a whole lot of these ideas that we have talked about. I need him to have a transparent head and a transparent thoughts to simply go play, however play with an understanding of the selections that I make with the ball in my hand, the selections that I make as a passer, and as we have realized, crucial as a runner to guard himself and ensure that we will preserve him in there.”
McCarthy stated Thursday that he is a “pure overthinker.” Whereas making clear that he doesn’t blame the teaching employees for pushing him arduous on mechanics and footwork through the season, he stated his concern about it falls “into the bucket” of overthinking.
“Simply worrying about issues,” he stated of how the deal with mechanics might need affected him. “Like on the twelfth gap, you are not going to change up your golf swing and stuff like that. However there’s all the time methods to refine it. There’s all the time little psychological cues that you’ll take all through that sport. However yeah, the mechanics factor … it is all the time going to be a continued course of to develop and be as environment friendly as doable.”
