At some point, J.J. McCarthy is going to have to start and win games for the Minnesota Vikings. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved up a spot to draft McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft. So far, we have seen McCarthy play a grand total of one preseason game before a torn meniscus ended his rookie season before it even began. He has a high enough ceiling, but he has so far to go as well...
That is why I am not the least bit surprised the Vikings are at least somewhat interested in signing Aaron Rodgers this offseason. He would be Sam Darnold's replacement, while McCarthy continues his climb up the steepest learning curve of any of his first-round quarterback classmates. The other five all enter 2025 as their team's unquestioned starter, yet we may see McCarthy hold the clipboard.
While I doubt most people question McCarthy's NFL upside as much as I do, most would agree with me that Minnesota playing flirt with Rodgers is not a good look for the organization, or for their franchise quarterback of the future's development. Every rep McCarthy gets matters! He was the rawest of the first six quarterbacks taken last spring by a country mile. This gap is only widening...
If McCarthy cannot be the starter in his second season in Kevin O'Connell's system, will he ever?
Minnesota Vikings courting Aaron Rodgers so is bad for J.J. McCarthy
I have said this before and I will say it again. I subscribe to this military philosophy of Norman Schwarzkopf. If you are going to fail, you need to fail fast. It does not serve the Vikings or McCarthy to drag this thing out any longer than he has to. Can he play or can he not? If he can, then would it not be a great idea to find out sooner and build a better roster around him? If he stinks, then just move on!
Although I am not very high on what McCarthy can do at the NFL level, that does not mean I am not intrigued to see what he can do. I would love for him to make the Vikings a serious Super Bowl contender and prove me wrong. He did help Michigan win a College Football Playoff before exiting stage right. Regardless, Minnesota courting a 40-something Rodgers reeks of complete desperation.
It has been a painfully long time since the Viking last won the NFC. Fran Tarkenton was their quarterback and Ken Stabler led the then-Oakland Raiders back in the mid-1970s. Minnesota has had plenty of great teams between then and now, but the Vikings can never seem to get out of their own way when it comes to quarterbacks. Their starters usually play well, but it is rarely ever one guy.
All Rodgers would do is gum up the plan in place for the Vikings when it comes to McCarthy's growth.