J.J. McCarthy has drawn a lot of attention during the Minnesota Vikings’ mandatory minicamp amid reports of his uneven performances.
In response, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Vikings believe McCarthy was “a lot stronger” to end the nine days of offseason workouts than he was to begin them in organized team activities.
Moreover, Fowler doubled down on McCarthy being part of the Vikings’ Super Bowl plan.
“Coming off that knee issue, they knew he could start a little slowly. But they like the way he’s throwing the ball, they feel very comfortable with where he’s at going into the training camp,” Fowler reported on “SportsCenter” on June 14. “They didn’t sign [Aaron] Rodgers and went with McCarthy because they believe in their three-year plan: A young quarterback, they like on a rookie scale, so they’ll be aggressive on the roster without him [Rodgers]. They believe they can win a Super Bowl in the next three years.”
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That is as good of news as Vikings fans can hope for with McCarthy, who tore his meniscus during the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.
McCarthy underwent two procedures to address the issue; one to repair the tear and another to address swelling that occurred early on during his rehabilitation process. However, the former No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft, McCarthy, has long recovered from that.
His final hurdles remain on the field.
J.J. McCarthy Made Steady Progress During Vikings’ Offseason Program
“Kevin O’Connell described the last few weeks of Minnesota Vikings practices as a de facto passing camp. There are few meaningful reps for players in the trenches and minimal opportunities for honest evaluation. Growth was the primary focus,” The Athletic’s Alec Lewis wrote on June 13, listing McCarthy among his standout takeaways of the offseason program.
“The 22-year-old concluded his spring with an efficient day. McCarthy frequently refrained from throwing the ball into contested windows, choosing instead to complete underneath checkdowns against nontraditional defensive looks. He completed an out route to receiver Justin Jefferson. Running back Aaron Jones caught a pass over the middle of the field. A few of McCarthy’s throws resulted in high-fives from quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.”
Lewis noted that O’Connell “complimented” McCarthy on two aspects after the final practice: displaying a “willingness” to “experiment” with throws, highlighting touch passes in particular, and embracing “self-criticism” amid what Lewis called “notable mistakes.”
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McCarthy’s ability to put the ball in the right spot along the sidelines remains a work in progress.
Lewis pointed to McCarthy admitting the “key skill” (Lewis’ term) was a “priority” in his development as a quarterback. McCarthy said he had always been a “one-speed pitch” QB.
“Compared with last spring, he not only attempted more of these different throws, but he also consistently released passes from a solid base,” Lewis wrote. “The Vikings staff never questioned McCarthy’s sheer arm strength. His current teammates understand the initial evaluation.”
“General accuracy hasn’t been an issue, either.”
J.J. McCarthy Has 1 Critical Test to Pass
Lewis noted that McCarthy’s ability as a passer “won’t consume” the Vikings’ coaching staff ahead of training camp.
However, there remains a critical question that McCarthy will not be able to answer even then.
“More than anything else, the question now is how well he can apply his year-plus knowledge of the system on the fly when the intensity ratchets up, when the ramifications of each throw are amplified,” Lewis wrote, noting the Vikings’ “collective hope is that the way this spring was structured will help.”
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McCarthy completed 64.7% of his passes for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in that game against the Raiders, throwing both scores after the pick. If McCarthy can continue to show the rapid improvements he did then and this offseason, then the Vikings’ plan is on track
