JJ McCarthy admits his ankle is not completely healed

JJ McCarthy injured his right ankle in Week 2. He is back in practice but not yet 100 percent.

“It’s a shame and one of those really annoying injuries,” McCarthy said Wednesday, via Dave Campbell of the Associated Press, “but I just keep working to get to 100 percent as quickly as possible.”

The Vikings quarterback said doctors gave him a recovery time of up to six weeks for the high ankle sprain.

“I strive every day to get there as quickly as possible,” McCarthy said.

He was limited in his return to practice Wednesday, and coach Kevin O’Connell said McCarthy and Carson Wentz would take turns with the first-team offense this week.

“I think the biggest thing is just getting him back on the turf, in uniform, practicing, getting some real live reps of the pass rush, taking some drops and applying some of the things that he’s been working really hard on lately, as he’s kind of gotten to this phase of his rehab, applying it,” O’Connell said of McCarthy.

Wentz is 2-1 in McCarthy’s absence. The Vikings have not named a starter for this week, and McCarthy said he is leaving that decision up to the team.

It seems likely that it will take at least another week for him to get back to 100 percent.

“We have to be smart here and understand that there’s a lot of things that come into play, and at the end of the day, I’m just going to do what I’m told and try to get better as quickly as possible,” McCarthy said.