We’ve had three months to digest J.J. McCarthy. We've evaluated him from all angles and criticized him for his inconsistencies. We've also questioned the organization for turning away two other quarterbacks who are a combined 15-5 this season; a stark contrast to McCarthy’s 2-3 record in 10 possible games. The more we dive into McCarthy, though, and analyze every way he’s come up short in his first full season as the Minnesota Vikings’ starter, the more we lose track of one key factor.
If McCarthy’s teammates continue to support him, why do we continue to bash him? Minnesota’s star receiver Justin Jefferson has supported McCarthy all season and continued to echo his support ahead of Sunday. If Jefferson is OK with McCarthy going through growing pains this year, why can’t we as football fans and Vikings fans accept that too?
Justin Jefferson’s belief in J.J. McCarthy just might save McCarthy from a full on collapse
Jefferson has every right to abandon the Vikings, yet he’s doubling down with the team that drafted him. Most elite players would have tried to force their way out with a pessimistic future ahead. But Jefferson is bottling his frustrations, taking the blame like a true leader and showing why it might be worth being patient with McCarthy as he transitions from mediocre college quarterback to NFL starter.
In fact, Jefferson is going out of his way to say that he needs to do more to help the young quarterback. In a way, I want to agree with him, but at the end of the day, McCarthy’s problems have nothing to do with his inability to get Jefferson the ball because he can’t get open. He can’t get Jefferson the ball because of his own shortcomings.
Maybe there’s more Jefferson can do to instill more confidence in McCarthy, but at the end of the day, McCarthy simply needs reps and if Jefferson is willing to be patient, we should too. Playing quarterback in the NFL isn’t easy and experience is the most important thing. Jefferson’s willing to wait, but he’ll surely be impatient if things don’t turn around. So much time does McCarthy have to figure it out?
How much longer of a leash does J.J. McCarthy deserve?
If Minnesota hadn’t completely given up on Sam Darnold, I think this wouldn't be a big deal. But the Vikings had their answer at quarterback and doubled down on McCarthy being their future. They could have kept him as their future while winning now with Darnold. That would have afforded McCarthy more time to develop in the background.
But Minnesota brought this pressure on McCarthy as they were adamant about giving McCarthy the keys. And sure, they saved some money doing so in the process, but they’ve set this team back. McCarthy came in with high expectations and he’s falling short of those. So how much longer should we give him the benefit of the doubt? Jefferson might now want to say the quiet part out loud, but the Vikings are in trouble.
If they can’t figure out how to mold McCarthy into a respectable starting quarterback, they won’t just suffer this year, but it could be what divides this team. Jefferson is cordial now, but he wants to win and he may not be inclined to stick around Minnesota until that happens. Jefferson has played with quite a few quarterbacks in his NFL career, but none that have struggled as much as McCarthy. It’s only a matter of time before he stops biting his tongue.