Vikings do everything in their power to ensure J.J. McCarthy will make it

The Vikings are leaving J.J. McCarthy in good hands.
Las Vegas Raiders v Minnesota Vikings
Las Vegas Raiders v Minnesota Vikings / Stephen Maturen/GettyImages
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Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was at the helm of the Michigan Wolverines a year ago at this time when his team pushed around the Washington Huskies, 34-13, to win the national championship. Four months later, he was the fifth of six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 selections of the NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings swung up a deal with the New York Jets, moved up one spot, and secured the rights to the talented prospect.

As it turned out, McCarthy was the only one of those aforementioned six signal-caller not to see the field this season. In the midst of the preseason, he suffered a torn meniscus and missed all of 2024. He is apparently right on course when it comes to recovery.

It’s safe to say that McCarthy may be feeling even better considering Tuesday’s news.

McCarthy should thrive under head coach Kevin O’Connell

The Vikings’ current head coach just wrapped up his third season with the franchise. Apparently, there’s much more to come. The team announced that Kevin O’Connell has agreed to a multi-year contract extension.

“Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach,” stated Minnesota Vikings’ owner/president Mark Wilf. “An innovative play caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players. He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”

Those excellent communications skills were center stage this season when it came to quarterback Sam Darnold. The third overall pick in the 2018 by the New York Jets had gone from promising prospect to turnover-prone disappointment. The former USC standout bounced from the Jets to the Panthers to the 49ers, then inked a one-year deal with the Vikings this offseason.

Talk about a rebirth? Darnold started all 17 games, and easily set career marks with 4,319 yards through the air and 35 TD tosses. The miscues were still there, but his confidence as a player had obviously been restored. The Vikings finished 14-3 and claimed a wild card berth. The team’s biggest problem this season was the failure to beat either the Lions or the Rams, losing to both teams twice—the latter in the playoffs.

Darnold is scheduled to hit free agency in mid-March, and his future in the Twin Cities has yet to be determined. In any case, O’Connell isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and McCarthy figures to reap the benefits in 2025.

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