NFC Notes: J.J. McCarthy, Hendon Hooker, Lions, Vikings

Lions

Lions HC Dan Campbell said that he doesn’t expect QB Hendon Hooker to practice this week.

“Yeah, honestly, we don’t know,” Campbell said, via Lions Wire. “We don’t know where he’s gonna be. He’s not gonna be out there today. We probably won’t have him tomorrow. It’s looking less likely that we’ll have him in practice this week. Until Friday, uh, getting ready for the Chiefs. And that’s not a guarantee. Until, you know, he clears the concussion protocol. We’re on a hold with him right now.”

Campbell spoke highly of what Hooker put on the field during the team’s first preseason game.

“As you guys saw, there was some encouraging things in there. You know, he was able to move the offense down the field. Saw a couple of things. Had a hot throw. Did a good job on one of his progressions, kicking it back out to the back. Had a couple of runs there. So for the limited snaps that he was in there, with a very limited package offensively, you know, it was promising.”

J.J. McCarthy

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell reaffirmed his commitment to first-round QB J.J. McCarthy being the team’s quarterback of the future despite his season-ending injury. 

“But as our fans either have already come to find out or will in the future, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in,” O’Connell said, via PFT. “As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see, not only early on through training camp, first performance last Saturday, but he should — our fanbase and everyone should just be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback, I believe, in the building. And now, it’s just about the unique aspect of continuing a very critical development process for him where maybe the physical reps aren’t going to be there in the short-term. But this is going to be a small bump in the road. Other quarterbacks in our league have gone through similar things early on in their journey and come back stronger and better than ever. And that is not only my expectation — I know that is going to happen for J.J.”

Vikings

• Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell said WR Jordan Addison injured his ankle on Wednesday and is unlikely to practice Thursday, but it isn’t believed to be serious. (Matthew Coller)
• O’Connell confirmed Addison avoided a major ankle injury: “I don’t see him missing any extended time.” (Kevin Seifert)
• Regarding LB Blake Cashman, O’Connell said he injured a finger on Wednesday and needed surgery but he’ll return once the stitches heal. (Seifert)