J.J. McCarthy Gets the Green Light Treatment
The Minnesota Vikings have had a wonderful offseason. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired various reinforcements in free agency, and the draft is right around the corner. The team should be strong in the upcoming season after finishing 14-3 last year, but the one question mark is the quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy Gets the Green Light Treatment
J.J. McCarthy was drafted almost one year ago, but Vikings fans have barely seen him. The tenth overall selection played one half in the team’s first preseason game, with encouraging results, but picked up a meniscus tear along the way. The subsequent surgery cost him his entire rookie season and valuable time on the practice field.
Still, unless the franchise shockingly turns around and entertains the Aaron Rodgers rumors after all, it’s his show in 2025 and beyond. Although they haven’t come out and confirmed it, all the actions and comments from the main decision-makers have pointed towards McCarthy entering the offseason as QB1.
The next step, obviously, is his recovery. It was a tough knee injury, but the sophomore is good to go, according to his head coach, via Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling on social media:
“On Day 1 of the Vikings’ offseason program, Kevin O’Connell said J.J. McCarthy is ‘ready to hit the ground running, starting today.’ The second-year QB has ‘really been able to push it on the field,’ both in the types of throws he’s made and the number of balls he’s thrown, O’Connell said. Shouldn’t be any limitations for him in the offseason.”
McCarthy is Kevin O’Connell’s first true shot at a quarterback he can morph into a franchise quarterback. Neither Kellen Mond (whom he quickly waived) nor Jaren Hall, with whom he shared about 16 months, had McCarthy’s talent. He’s also Minnesota’s first quarterback selected in the first round since Teddy Bridgewater a decade earlier.
Last month, the passer already confirmed via Up & Adams, “I would say I’m 100%. Cheers to that. Staying consistent with the rehab process and not wavering for that and being disciplined with all the outside stuff and making sure I’m not chopping too much wood.”
He has drawn exciting reviews from coaches and teammates.
Departed Viking Cam Bynum was asked about the young man and he had nothing but praise for him, “The one thing that stood out to me from him, as soon as he got in, he was throwing that ball. He was a gunslinger in practice. First and 10, simple concepts, he’s throwing the deep ball, he’s trying to fire it downfield. That’s something that I respected out of a rookie. Going forward after his injury, he’s sitting there in the defensive team meeting room, trying to learn our defense and trying to learn any way he can. He’s kind of a maniac when it comes to football.”
It’s an exciting time for Vikings fans because the team is loaded, and the quarterback is 22 years old, and nothing is as fun (outside of a winning football team) as seeing a young passer develop. His first NFL action will come in September.
Until then, he will work on some of the stuff he couldn’t while injured.
The NFL Draft Order and The Vikings’ Spot from Rounds 1 through 7
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