It’ll be a battle of the backups on Sunday in Minneapolis.

The Vikings likely won’t have quarterback J.J. McCarthy for Week 3 — at least — due to a high ankle sprain, head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Monday, leaving veteran Carson Wentz as the expected starter.

Per ESPN, McCarthy is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, though he is not expected to need a stint on short-term IR, O’Connell added.

J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings fumbles the ball as he’s sacked by Zach Harrison #96 of the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter on Sept. 14, 2025. Getty Images

Minnesota will host the Bengals, who lost star QB Joe Burrow for three months as he needs surgery to fix turf toe. Jake Browning will be under center for Cincinnati.

O’Connell delivered more bad news for his offense Monday

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