The Minnesota Vikings are going to be without their star quarterback for a crucial stretch of early-season games.

J.J. McCarthy is expected to be out two to four weeks with a high-ankle sprain, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said McCarthy was “very sore” after suffering the injury during Sunday’s 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. O’Connell told reporters at his Monday press conference that it’s highly unlikely McCarthy will be available to play Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“We are not planning on having [McCarthy] for Sunday,” O’Connell said. “I don’t likely see this being any kind of short-term IR thing. But I do want to see how he responds to treatment this week.”

That sets up backup Carson Wentz as the starter against the Bengals and beyond. It also means what was looking like a standout game on the schedule between two of the league’s top young QBs will now be a battle to see which backup can stabilize their team’s playoff hopes.

Bengals backup Jake Browning will start for the Bengals, with Joe Burrow expected to be sidelined up to three months after undergoing surgery to repair a turf toe injury.

McCarthy was sacked nine times in the first two games, including six against Atlanta. An already banged-up offensive line became even thinner Sunday as center Ryan Kelly and left tackle Justin Skule both suffered concussions early in the game. Both are in the league’s concussion protocol and will need to be approved to play Week 3.

Meanwhile, the Vikings will also be without starting running back Aaron Jones, who suffered a hamstring injury against Atlanta. So, Jordan Mason will likely be RB1. And rookie Zavier Scott the only other running back currently on the 53-man roster. This adds to their problems after they placed veteran Ty Chandler on injured reserve on Sept. 11 with a knee injury.

As for Wentz, Minnesota would want him to be composed under center. He saw limited action last season as the backup to starter Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs in 3 games. His only start came in Week 18 with the Chiefs’ playoff position set. He completed 10 of 17 for 98 yards and was sacked four times in a 38-0 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Across the season, Wentz threw for 118 total yards for the Chiefs, completing 12 of 19 attempts with no touchdowns. His last NFL win came in a similar Week 18 start for the Los Angeles Rams on January 7, 2024. He went 17 of 24 for 163 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and a 99.8 QB rating in a 21-20 win over San Francisco.