The Minnesota Vikings will begin the upcoming season with a new starting quarterback for the third straight year. After watching the Kirk Cousins era go up in flames, Sam Darnold delivered 14 wins and a Pro Bowl bid, only for it all to end with a first round flameout in the playoffs. Now it's rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy stepping up to the plate.
McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Many thought he might assume starting duties last season, with Darnold functioning merely as a bridge option, but a torn meniscus ended his rookie year before it began. McCarthy never saw the field in a meaningful game. He learned from Darnold behind the scenes, walked the sidelines in a boot, and did what he could to prepare himself for this moment.
It's impossible to know what to expect from McCarthy in his first proper season. He was the least experienced of the six first-round quarterbacks a year ago, but he also won the national championship at Michigan and is home to immense natural talent. There's a reason the Vikings wanted him so bad. And, to his credit, McCarthy is doing everything in his power to win over the fanbase ahead of time.
J.J. McCarthy's work ethic has fans buzzing ahead of debut season with Vikings
McCarthy recently returned to his hometown of La Grange Park, Illinois. He dialed up his former quarterback coach, Greg Holcomb, and asked for a 6 AM workout. It was a request Holcomb did not even question, per The Athletic's Alec Lewis.
"They’d been troubleshooting McCarthy’s mechanics together for more than a decade at this point," he writes. "Holcomb learned long ago not to question whether the student would change. After winning a state title at nearby Nazareth Academy? Still the same guy. After playing at IMG Academy in Florida? Hungrier. After becoming the starter at Michigan? More driven."
McCarthy's work ethic has evidently been his calling card for years. After winning the 7A high school state title in Illinois and a consensus high school national championship at IMG Academy in Florida, McCarthy was a five-star recruit. He went to Michigan, where he scaled the mountaintop as a junior before becoming the youngest quarterback selected in the 2024 draft.
The bonafides are all there, backed up by an insatiable desire to get better and keep grinding. That has to make Vikings fans feel awfully confident about next season and beyond.
J.J. McCarthy is stepping into a perfect situation with Minnesota
In addition to his natural talent, McCarthy will have the benefit of an ideal setup with the Vikings next season. There is not a more QB-friendly scheme or personnel group in the NFL. Kevin O'Connell has earned his reputation as the league's latest, greatest playcalling savant. Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL at full strength. T.J. Hockenson ranks near the top of the tight ends list. The same for Aaron Jones at running back.
The Vikings will plug McCarthy into a system he has been learning for a year now, with elite playmakers around him, a stout offensive line in front of him and a great head coach calling the shots. Minnesota took on Sam Darnold at his lowest point and a year later he was raking in $100 million as a free agent. If McCarthy lives up to the pre-draft hype — and the mounting preseason hype — the Vikings will be very good, very fast, even with a green quarterback at the commands.