Cris Carter Continues His QB Crusade
Minnesota Vikings legend Cris Carter caught passes from various quarterbacks throughout his career — and he caught a whole lot of them. Ultimately, the Hall of Famer knows what he’s talking about, and his thoughts on J.J. McCarthy can’t make the passer too happy.
Cris Carter Still Isn’t Sold on J.J. McCarthy
It’s not the first time he’s taken a shot at the young signal-caller, and it probably won’t be the last.
Carter chatted with CardPlayer.com, and he said about Minnesota’s QB1: “Very average quarterback play they have not been able to overcome. It was good to see J.J. have a good game. Probably his best game as a pro. Washington, of course, is in the 30s as far as ranks from a defensive standpoint.”
There’s no doubt about it: The Commanders have a terrible defense. And to add to that, their defense is also simple to decode, making life easy even for inexperienced QBs.
“So Santa Claus came to town just a little bit early for the Vikings and their passing attack,” Carter added. “Let’s see if they can grow it.”
Still, McCarthy did pretty well executing the plays Kevin O’Connell drew up and taking what the defense gave him. He finished the contest with three passing touchdowns and zero turnovers for the first time in his career.
Then, Carter pivoted to Justin Jefferson, who has not produced at all in recent weeks: “Justin Jefferson is having a very, very average season for him. And the reason why is quarterback play. It’s not him. It’s not his ability to get open, and threaten the defense and make big plays.”
Jefferson once again got the double-team treatment against the Commanders, and McCarthy was looking elsewhere. Generally, that’s not the worst idea. Forcing the ball to 18 instead of targeting open guys is a disaster waiting to happen, but at some point, the best wideout in the game needs the ball.
McCarthy has four more games to prove that he’s the guy.
“So that right there is an issue that needs to be proven out, and the only way it will be proven out is by repetition. That is the only way. The Vikings are stuck with their quarterback situation, and they’re going to have to keep putting him out there to see if the game will slow down, and if he can vary the velocity on his balls and read defenses on a regular basis. Just like everyone else.”
McCarthy has missed six games this season due to an ankle injury and a concussion after sitting out the entire 2024 campaign with a season-ending knee injury. Most of his first seven games on the field have been subpar, but his performance last Sunday was not.
It was expected that one game wouldn’t sell Carter (an Ohio State alumnus) on McCarthy, the former Michigan Wolverine. At first, he took a shot on social media after a would-be game-winning drive the special teams blew against the Bears, and then, he hopped on the radio and continued his crusade.
Sure, it’s fair to be critical of McCarthy. His production hasn’t been good enough, which opens the door to criticism. However, it’s also fair to acknowledge that the arrow clearly pointed up during the recent outing.
Competition for J.J. McCarthy?
The legend shared one common sentiment about the QB situation in the Twin Cities: He wants a veteran to compete with the second-year player next offseason.
Carter said, “I think both of those things (moving forward with McCarthy or acquiring someone else) can be true. I think they should bring in a vet anyway as competition. You can’t depend on him not to get hurt. He’s only had a handful of starts, but his ability to avoid contact in a short period of time has not proven to be good. So you’re going to have to have a veteran there, someone who’s proven in case he gets injured.”
That’s pretty much the universal opinion. Whether that guy is Marcus Mariota, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Mac Jones, or a flashier candidate like Kyler Murray, remains to be seen. The list of options is endless.
“And you’re going to have competition, because that’s what makes players better. I’ve been released, so I always thought I was auditioning. Every game after that, every game and every practice, I thought I was auditioning. So I don’t know why he would be thinking anything but that.”
The Vikings would be foolish to enter another season without a high-end backup plan. McCarthy has four more games to audition for the Vikings quarterback job and make Carter buy some stock.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.