Let the J.J. McCarthy Debate Begin
Not everyone is sold on J.J. McCarthy, someone whom Kevin O’Connell has praised repeatedly.
Consider, for instance, the assessment that arrived courtesy of The Athletic. Veteran NFL writer Mike Sando conducted an exercise where he polled NFL employees to construct a ranking of the league’s quarterbacks. More specifically, Sando leaned on the insight from “six general managers, six assistant GMs, six former GMs, five other executives, eight head coaches and 19 other coaches, including 15 coordinators.” So, a pretty nice sampling of people who know a lot about football. Where did Mr. McCarthy land?
The J.J. McCarthy Debate
Before jumping into the discussion surrounding the 22-year-old passer, consider the O’Connell effect.
On a year-to-year basis, no QB improved in the rankings more than Sam Darnold. The Seahawk jumped nine spots. Flip that around. There’s no QB who dropped more than Kirk Cousins; the backup Falcon making $45 million per season sunk by twelve spots. The impossible-to-ignore implication: Kevin O’Connell may know a thing or two when it comes to extracting excellence from quarterbacks.
Consider another basic reality: nobody will believe someone can do it until they do it. Phrase that differently. Very few are going to believe that J.J. McCarthy can succeed in the NFL until he actually succeeds in the NFL. As a result, a modest ranking should be expected.
And from within the rankings, the Vikings’ new QB1 sits at 29th in the NFL. Since there are only 32 teams in the league, it’s quite a low ranking, one that borders on not being a starter. Of course, the real games still need to be played — that’s where the young fella is going to definitively prove what he’s capable of doing — so don’t get too worked up.
Consider some of what the voters had to say about Minnesota’s passer, someone who was placed in Tier 4 by all fifty voters. The definition of the category: “A Tier 4 quarterback could be an unproven player (not enough information for voters to classify) or a veteran who ideally would not start all 17 games.”
One comment: “‘I would have hope for him with that coach and that system if he can stay healthy,’ a former GM said. ‘He has that slight build. He looked pretty good in the (2024) preseason, in a short period of time. I believe in the head coach and the system. He has the arm strength, he is athletic, he is smart, he has all those things.'”
Apparently, some aren’t sold that the Vikings are fully in love with their new quarterback (disclaimer: they are). The insight from Sando: “There’s a perception among some voters that Minnesota had reservations about McCarthy this offseason.” And then a thought from a coach: “‘I don’t just hear slam dunk stuff out of there.'”
Still others spoke about the injury, wondering aloud if the Michigan man would prove rugged enough to thrive in the NFL. Already, there has been a season-ending injury, creating some doubt about his ability to stay out of the infirmary.
Guarding one’s optimism is indeed a good thing. By definition, J.J. McCarthy has essentially proven nothing. He was very good at the college level, proving to be an excellent option for Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines as they marched toward a National Championship.
In Minnesota, there’s a similar setup. The offensive line has been reinforced and there are fresh investments in the ground game. The pass catchers are second to none and the Brian Flores defense is going to be difficult to corral. All of these factors are supposed to coalesce in a way that makes it easier for the sophomore to hit the ground running.
In Minnesota, there’s zero doubt about who will be taking the season’s first snap on Monday Night Football. Kevin O’Connell is fully behind his sophomore passer, praising the youngster’s growth and maturity at every turn. Some outside skepticism is to be expected, something that can only be overcome by shining in 2025.
McCarthy is 22.
