Ex-Teammate Says Vikings’ Mystery Man Is Ready to Compete
The Vikings start into the summer of 2025 with a few question marks, like whether Theo Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon are up for the elevated roles and if the new offensive line is as powerful as it looks in theory. But nothing comes close to the mystery of one man, first-year starter J.J. McCarthy.
Ex-Teammate Says Vikings’ Mystery Man Is Ready to Compete
Nothing will have as much of an impact on Minnesota’s 2025 campaign as McCarthy’s play. If he stinks, the team won’t come close to another 14-win season, and even reaching the playoffs might be a long shot.
Conversely, if he’s excellent from the get-go, repeating last year’s success and potentially even advancing in the playoffs could be in the cards for Kevin O’Connell’s operation. His teammates believe in him. We’ve already seen some of them tell the media they trust McCarthy.
The latest of those is Cam Bynum, the beloved but departed safety. He thinks McCarthy is ready for the bright lights. In an appearance on Kay & Adams, he had nothing but praise for the young passer.
Asked if McCarthy’s ready to go, Bynum responded: “I know he’s ready to go. The fact that he had a season-ending injury in preseason and we still saw him every day, that says something in itself. You can tear your meniscus and it be a full season injury, and okay, it’s fine, it’s normal to not see somebody the rest of the year unless you go look in the training room at some random hour of the day and see him in there.”
McCarthy’s injury was quite cruel; to delay the career of a promising player like this was almost unheard of. However, Sam Darnold kept the offense going, and who knows if McCarthy would’ve ever seen the field in his debut season. He certainly will in 2025.
Bynum continued: “But the fact that he was still in meetings, he was still bothering us defensive players, asking what coverage were you guys in here, what do you guys do in this play in the game? And those are the conversations that I had with J.J. going through the season. He’s just coming up to me, I’m like ‘dude, it’s November,’ he’s talking about next year. Like ‘bro, I’m so ready for this offense’ and those conversations tell me he’s different.”
Earlier in the offseason, there was the idea of bringing back Darnold after his Pro Bowl season, but he ultimately dipped for Seattle. His new contract structure suggests the Vikings didn’t offer him a huge deal.
Then, Aaron Rodgers rumors appeared, and so did Kirk Cousins rumors. At the end of the day, the Vikings stuck with McCarthy, trusting him to lead a strong roster with some serious goals. Minnesota’s former safety concluded:
“I want to say he’s weird, but he’s different. That’s my guy. That’s somebody I respect, and I know he’ll be able to get the job done. I think they’re in good hands having him there, and regardless of what happens, I know he’s going to figure it out and thrive in any situation he’ll be in.”
It’s fairly promising that McCarthy has earned the respect of a teammate without ever playing with him, and it says a lot about the young player’s character.
Bynum is another guy with a strong character. He was an integral part of Brian Flores’ defense as the deep safety next to Harrison Smith and Joshua Metellus, who both had tasks in the box. He left for Indianapolis, signing a big four-year contract there for $60 million. The Vikings apparently didn’t match that. He’ll also be missed as a locker room voice.
Earlier this month, tight end T.J. Hockenson appeared on the Green Light Podcast hosted by ex-NFLer Chris Long. He focused more on McCarthy’s arm than his personality:
“His arm talent is there. He’s got a sick arm. I remember catching passes from [Stafford], and it was one of those balls where it just zips on ya,” Hockenson said this month. “It looks like it’s not coming, but it’s coming. And J.J.’s got the juice behind it where it kind of has that effect. … He’s got insane arm talent, and really the personality that he has goes really well, and I think he’s gonna have a long career.”
Last offseason, however, Hockenson talked about the behind-the-scenes stuff, and his comments were not too far off Bynum’s: “He’s been incredible. He’s grinding in the film room. He’s grinding in the classroom. He’s a baller on the field, obviously. But to have a guy, especially a rookie, come into a facility and to the league, you usually need to shut your mouth and go to work, and that’s exactly what he did. He’s earned the respect of a lot of guys in there.”
McCarthy is only 22 years old, but he has the mindset that comes with great players. Of course, he isn’t guaranteed to be one of them, but his head is in a great place. His development will be fun to watch in the next few months leading up to the season.
It Turns Out the Vikings Have a Best-Kept Secret