The J.J. McCarthy Buzz Is Heating Up
There’s nothing more important for the organization’s future than J.J. McCarthy’s development. Unless he is one of the many busts in every draft, he is intended to be the starting passer for a long time. There is no guarantee that a highly drafted signal-caller is actually good, and most draft classes feature QBs that can’t live up to their draft status.
The J.J. McCarthy Buzz Is Heating Up
For Vikings fans, patience is required. Some quarterbacks need time to develop, like Josh Allen, who didn’t look like the elite quarterback he is now in his first two seasons. On the other end of the spectrum, Mac Jones had a fantastic rookie season and is now the backup in Jacksonville. Overreactions to a young quarterback’s performance should be limited.
However, it is still promising to see them shine early, and McCarthy has been on the receiving end for a ton of praise coming out of Eagan, Minnesota.
The Vikings have made it clear that they want to take their time developing the 21-year-old instead of playing him before he’s truly ready. Sam Darnold is in the building to lead the team until that day comes. It might be here sooner than expected.
It took SI.com’s Will Ragatz only two days of practices to note that the rookie has been performing well: “Sam Darnold is still the Vikings’ clear-cut QB1 right now, but the biggest takeaway from Day 2 of camp at TCO Performance Center was the performance of McCarthy, the highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history. He had an impressive day, making quick decisions and ripping balls with velocity into tight windows.”
Two days later, on Saturday, Ragatz mentioned as one item of his daily camp notes that it “was the second straight day where McCarthy looked more like the more impressive of the two, although both had their ups and downs.”
He added: “McCarthy was cooking in the red zone period. He went 4 for 5 in that setting, with touchdown passes to Nailor, Lucky Jackson, and Trey Knox. The fourth completion was a dump-off to Kene Nwangwu that may or may not have resulted in a score if tackling were in play. The lone incompletion was a ball that was too hot and a bit too high for Sammis Reyes. Overall, McCarthy looked smooth, decisive, and accurate during the red zone work.”
It should be noted, though, that he still included a disclaimer that it’s still early in training camp, and nobody should overreact. He’s primarily playing with the second-team offense against the second-team defense, and the players are still in shorts.
One person who surely will not overreact is head coach Kevin O’Connell. Before the first training camp practice, he updated the depth chart and indicated that it’s still Darnold’s job to lose, but made sure to add that it would be a competition: “I have no preconceived, preset depth chart in my mind beyond, I believe I said at the end of spring, Sam was the number one quarterback. Sam had a great spring. J.J. came in here after being drafted and had a really productive spring as well. So, my message to those guys is I want a really competitive situation.”
McCarthy entered the building with a resume that included quarterbacking his Michigan program to a national title. He also has the mobility to thrive in today’s NFL, which will be a nice change from the Kirk Cousins era. His arm strength has also drawn some praise throughout the offseason.
The rookie used Thursday’s media availability to stress how much he has already grown in the past three months. He now has an increased understanding of the playbook, including protections and hot routes, and has better control in the huddle. His footwork has been a major point of emphasis.
Darnold’s reviews have been mixed with some exciting highlight plays and interceptions that remind folks why he isn’t an established starting quarterback in the NFL.
For now, Darnold is still in the pole position, but McCarthy might be able to close the gap. He will get his first game action in two weeks when the Vikings meet the Las Vegas Raiders for their first preseason contest.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt