Kevin O'Connell confirms suspiscion about starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy heading into first preseason game

The interesting part of the answer from O'Connell is how much he will play. It's a delicate balance with a player like McCarthy, who tore his meniscus in his first preseason game ever last August. That factor has to be weighing heavily on the minds of O'Connell and the rest of the organization.

How much do you want to play your starting quarterback in the preseason when that risk of injury is there? Anytime a player takes the field, there is always the risk of injury. However, it's more prevalent when it has already happened once before.

It's a tough one to parse out if you are the Vikings. McCarthy only has one game of experience during the preseason. He was excellent after an opening drive interception with nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns through the air. What is the balancing act to keeping McCarthy healthy and getting him the valuable reps he needs to potentially get the Vikings on a Super Bowl run?

Right now, the Vikings are choosing to play McCarthy in the first preseason game. The good thing for the Vikings right now is they host joint practices with the New England Patriots ahead of their second preseason game. Having that at their disposal is going to end up being huge for his development, as those practices are viewed as being better for development than the game itself.

It's always a risk to play your starters in the preseason, but the reward could severely outweigh the risk when it comes to invaluable quarterback reps, and the Vikings see that.