Team news: Minnesota Vikings | Page 3

Who will start at quarterback when the Vikings play the Eagles in Week 7?

If head coach Kevin O’Connell knows the answer, he’s not yet telling the public.

In his Monday press conference coming off a Week 6 bye, O’Connell told reporters that he isn’t ready to project where the team will be at the end of the week. Both J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and Carson Wentz (left shoulder) are still returning from injury.

Wentz looks to be the favorite here since McCarthy may not be ready to practice fully this week. Injury reports could tell us a lot but at this point, Wentz seems a bit further along. The Vikings host the Eagles in an earlier Sunday game.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Monday that the team would evaluate its options at quarterback after Jake Browning’s struggles while filling in for the injured Joe Burrow.

According to multiple reports, the Bengals have agreed to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns.

Related players: Brett Rypien, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

Cincinnati will receive Flacco and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick to complete the rare intra-AFC North trade. We just reported a story earlier today saying if the Bengals do make a change, it will be a QB from outside team who gets the start. Flacco should give the Bengals a steadier option at the position until Burrow is able to return in December. The story pointed out, it's unclear just how long it may take Flacco to get up to speed and if the team will push him to start this week. We'll likely learn more about that as the week goes on.

In all likelihood, the quarterback capable of breathing life into the Bengals’ season isn’t on the roster.

Current backup Brett Rypien and practice squad quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Mike White are not in consideration to replace Browning this weekend against the Packers.

Any options left open to, theoretically, replace Jake Browning in Green Bay would have to come from outside the building.

Related players: Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston

Reports Tuesday say the team has released White, which could be an indication a new face is on the way in. Three of the bigger names to be stop-gaps until Joe Burrow returns are Cousins, Wilson and Winston, but it remains to be seen if the Bengals pull the trigger and make a deal. The Bengals are hoping to stay in the hunt until Burrow returns and the talent is still there on offense. It also looks like Browning has another chance this week to keep his starting spot.

Kevin O’Connell said QB Carson Wentz is being further evaluated with the shoulder injury suffered in yesterday’s game. Sounded like he came in pretty sore. One to watch.

Related players: J.J. McCarthy

The Vikings have a bye in Week 6, and then take on the Eagles in Week 7. Reports say McCarthy will be ready to practice after the team's bye so the hope for the Vikings is they'll at least have Wentz or McCarthy ready to go. It will be an interesting decision for the team if both quarterbacks are ready to play, especially considering the Vikings are playing one of Wentz's former teams in the Eagles in Week 7.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor sounded open to the possibility of a quarterback change after Jake Browning struggled again in a 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Taylor said he plans to evaluate why the offense struggled in a third straight defeat. Browning threw three interceptions before he led the Bengals to three touchdowns in the final quarter to trim the final margin.

"After a game like that, we're going to look at all personnel to make sure we're doing the right thing," Taylor said when asked if he still believes in Browning moving forward. "I won't shy away from that because it's a very fair question after the amount of turnovers that we had."

Related players: Brett Rypien, Mike White, Sean Clifford

As the story pointed out, Browning was 26-of-40 passing for 251 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. But all three TDs and 133 of those yards came in the fourth quarter, after Cincinnati was walloped early for a third consecutive week. The list of QBs behind Browning aren't impressive but the team may be desperate for any kind of spark so be sure to monitor this situation this week if you play in deep superflex or multiple QB leagues.

Carson Wentz will start for the Vikings in London vs. the #Browns on Sunday, per a league source.

Rookie QB J.J. McCarthy still isn’t ready and hasn’t practiced this week. Now officially out.

This seemed to be the case for a while now, as the Vikings have a Week 6 bye which gives the pseudo-rookie extra time to heal. Consider Wentz a fade this week against a tough Browns pass rush.

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has shed the walking boot, as he tries to expedite his return from a sprained ankle suffered in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons. Coach Kevin O’Connell, however, isn’t inclined to rush McCarthy back to the lineup.

O’Connell made it clear on Monday that McCarthy will play not only when he’s physically ready, but when he’s entirely ready.

“First and foremost, he’s got to get healthy,” O’Connell told reporters, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “And then, I don’t think it’s one of those things where it’s, hey, he’s healthy the night before a game, we’re going to throw him out there and say, ‘Hey, go figure it out’ type of thing.”

Related players: Carson Wentz

The story went on to say O’Connell has denied that the injury amounts to a “soft benching” of the second-year quarterback, the coach said “there is value” in McCarthy watching Wentz play. The story added it seems likely Wentz will get the next game, against the Steelers in Ireland, and perhaps the one after that, against the Browns in London, before a decision is made as to whether it will be Wentz or McCarthy after the bye — when the Eagles come to Minnesota.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed Carson Wentz will get another start for the team next week when the team meets the Steelers in Dublin, Ireland.

This was expected after Wentz had a solid day against the Bengals, going 14/20 for 173 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota’s 48-10 victory. J.J. McCarthy is out 2-4 weeks with a right high ankle sprain. With Wentz able to hold the fort in Week 3, he’ll lead the charge as the Vikings make their trek through Europe over the next two weeks, facing the Steelers in Dublin in Week 4 and then meeting the Browns in London in Week 5 before their Week 6 bye.

The Vikings are making a move to fortify the quarterback position while J.J. McCarthy recovers from his ankle injury.

Per NFL Media, Minnesota is signing quarterback Desmond Ridder to their 53-man roster.

Related players: Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer

Ridder, 26, spent the preseason with the Bengals but had not found a team since he was let go at the end of August. The story goes on to say by signing Ridder to the 53-man roster, the Vikings will be able to have him suit up as the emergency third QB. We reported yesterday the team loves Brosmer, but the bigger question was could he be ready if Wentz under performs early on. The Ridder signing could mean he will eventually slide up and become the QB2.

The Vikings are placing starting RB Aaron Jones on Injured Reserve, knocking him out four games. He has a hamstring injury.

Related players: Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, Ty Chandler, Cam Akers

Mason becomes RB1 and Akers is signing to the practice squad, the report went on to say. Scott and Chandler are also on the roster, but the Vikings seem to like Akers so he could be elevated sooner than later. The bigger news here is Mason should see a much bigger workload with Jones out of action.