Former Teammate Still Has J.J. McCarthy’s Back
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy hasn’t had an ideal first two years in the NFL, starting with an injury that cost him his rookie season, followed by uneven play and more injuries in Year 2. Minnesota has emphasized upgrading the QB room this offseason, which might have cost him his starting job.
McCarthy was the ultimate winner in college, losing only one game in his two campaigns as a starter and capping off his collegiate career on a high note, with a national championship.
Part of the criticism coming out was that McCarthy was a handoff machine and that the offense was running through Blake Corum. Rams runner Corum has commented on McCarthy’s outlook on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
He said, “The ceiling is so high for J.J. You’ve got to think, his rookie year, he went down with the injury. Last year, he had a bunch of injuries, as well, so he hasn’t been on the field much. He hasn’t really had a lot of playing time that quarterbacks need. It’s a lot different going from college to the NFL. J.J. is a field general. I think he’s going to take the challenge that they’ve given him, obviously bringing in Kyler Murray, there’s gonna be a competition. That’s going to light a fire under him. But he’s just an overall good human being. He’s a competitor.”
Murray was hired to challenge McCarthy and give the quarterback room a baseline of NFL-caliber play. Last year, the trio of McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer hardly supported the elite defensive unit, ultimately leading to a 9-8 record and an early trip to Cancun.
Given Murray’s NFL resume with two Pro Bowls, he’s the favorite for the QB1 role. His career 17-game averages show 3,998 passing yards, 24 passing scores and 12 interceptions, as well as another 624 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. That kind of production can transform the Vikings into a dangerous team.
Scaled to 17 games, McCarthy’s numbers would result in only 2,774 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, with 308 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. Leaving two of his ten games early isn’t helping him in that calculation, of course.
Still, he’s only 23 and has a full offseason to work on his craft. The physical tools are there and he showed flashes in his first NFL season as a starter, but his play left a lot to be desired. Both Murray and McCarthy have struggled to stay healthy, which could open the door for McCarthy to get reps even if he’s not winning that competition.
“I know,” Corum added, “he’s not someone who’s going to let naysayers or outsiders determine the type of player he’s going to be. He still has the pencil in his own hand. He’s still writing his story. I think this is going to be a great year for J.J., and I’m super excited to see him prove everyone wrong.”
Head coach O’Connell recently noted that the reps throughout the spring will be equally distributed. In recent years, competitions have started in training camp under O’Connell.
At the recent owners’ meeting, the head coach said about his young passer, “It’s a healthy off-season for him. He spent his time out in California. He has since come back to Minnesota. He’s been in the in the building, working out downstairs with the with the weight of the strength guys in there with Tyler. We’ve actually had, you know, almost our entire quarterback room already spending time in the building. Guys are really hungry to get going.”
His NFL journey has not been smooth by any means, but former and current teammates continue to support McCarthy.
Only time will tell whether he can develop into the signal-caller he was supposed to be.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.