MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings fell too far behind on his development during his injury absences to warrant another pause.

As erratic as his performance has been recently for a team fading fast from the NFC playoff race, the Vikings realize how vital it is for McCarthy to continue to build his catalog of meaningful snaps.

The Vikings (4-6) also don't have any viable alternatives at this point, even if they were tempted to prioritize their record over his progress down the stretch of this dual-goal season built around the belief they could contend while conducting on-the-job-training for McCarthy.

“What’s best for the young quarterback, what’s best for our offense, what’s best for the team, that’s my job to manage all of that, and I’ve got to do a better

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