Vikings Settle Big Question Surrounding J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy is the major topic for Skol Nation, as he is one of the few unknowns of an otherwise stacked roster without many remaining questions. Still, no matter how good the team, if the young passer can’t get it done, the operation is going nowhere with him under center. The pressure is on.
Vikings Declare J.J. McCarthy’s Preseason Status
After dueling Brian Flores’ challenging defense for a couple of weeks, the first-year starter is certainly happy to face some other opponents, and it looks like his first chance to do that will come Saturday, when the Vikings host the Houston Texans for the preseason opener.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell stepped in front of the local media and answered some questions ahead of Monday’s practice.
“I do plan on playing J.J. Saturday,” the coach announced when a reporter asked about his status for the first game he’s eligible to compete in since his injury a year ago.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted on social media, “Sounds like the tentative plan for J.J. McCarthy is some work in Saturday’s preseason game, then hitting it heavy next week during joint practices — KOC’s biggest eval point during training camp. Then they’ll assess from there.”
O’Connell has put a major emphasis on joint practices since he got the job in 2022. In the week after the clash with the Texans, his squad will host the New England Patriots at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, MN, for joint practices. Mike Vrabel, New England’s new head coach, also visited the Vikings with hold old team, the Tennessee Titans, ahead of the 2023 campaign.
McCarthy will get plenty of reps in that environment, a more controlled one than in preseason action to limit injury risk, but with more reps for each player.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune added, “O’Connell said the #Vikings will ‘will more than likely use’ the joint practices with the Patriots ‘as our real days,’ meaning J.J. McCarthy is unlikely to play in the second preseason game. The Titans game will depend if O’Connell feels McCarthy needs a little more work.”
After the supposedly hefty workload in that week, McCarthy will likely be held out of the preseason game number two. His status for the preseason finale against the Titans remains to be seen.
Regardless, McCarthy will step onto the turf in U.S. Bank Stadium in a few days for the first time (in uniform) since having his highly-touted Vikings debut about a year ago, when he tore up the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter of that game, tossing a couple of touchdowns and appearing to have total control over the offense.
After a day of praise from all sides, Vikings fans had to endure the nightmare of losing their top-ten pick for his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus that required surgery. He has been throwing since at least January and has been fully cleared for months; the injury should not be a concern moving forward. Still, those same Vikings fans will undoubtedly hold their breath when their new QB1 is taking a hit in his first appearance.
Also, the availability of the other starters will be completed in TBD fashion. Does O’Connell send McCarthy onto the field with the backups, or do they want to support him with some of his top guys along the offensive line and the receiving group?
Justin Jefferson won’t see the preseason field, likely ever, in his career. T.J. Hockenson suffered a minor “bump,” as O’Connell called it, so he’ll likely be held out, too. What about McCarthy’s favorite target so far, Jordan Addison, and will the top blockers get some run? Those questions will be answered at some point this week.
In O’Connell’s first three years in charge, the Vikings’ starters have either completely stayed on the sidelines for the entire preseason or made just a brief appearance.
All we know is McCarthy will get some run, and all eyes will focus on the sophomore.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.