The Minnesota Vikings will officially have their first practice of training camp in 2025 on Wednesday, July 23. Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be in attendance after he reported for camp on Sunday, along with a slew of his Vikings teammates.
McCarthy went through training camp in 2024, but he missed his rookie season with a torn meniscus.
He is also stepping into the starting quarterback role for the Vikings this season.
“The Minnesota Vikings on Sunday announced … 40 players (listed alphabetically) have reported to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center for 2025 Minnesota Vikings Training Camp,” the franchise’s flagship website announced on July 20.
The Vikings took it a step further, sharing a video of McCarthy entering team facilities and telling him, “hey,” which drew a fitting and telling reaction from safety Josh Metellus.
“Let’s go,” McCarthy said in the video.
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McCarthy was the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft.
The Vikings traded up with the New York Jets, moving from No. 11 to select him. Moreover, there was a thought that he could push last year’s starter, Sam Darnold, now of the Seattle Seahawks, for the starting QB job before his injury.
J.J. McCarthy Part of Noteworthy List of Vikings Training Camp Attendees
Notably, Metellus was not among the 40 players listed in the Vikings’ announcement with McCarthy.
Metellus is in the final year of a two-year, $8 million contract, and he is due for a raise. However, Vikings veterans do not technically have to report until July 22, so Metellus’ absence from the list of early arrivals is to be expected.
Still, McCarthy was just one of several noteworthy players who showed up on Sunday.
Most significant among them is left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who is returning from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 campaign in Week 8.
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The next wave of arrivals could be more telling about Metellus’ situation. Still, the Vikings can be encouraged that McCarthy – and the rest of the quarterback room – is present and that Darrisaw is around, though he is expected to be sidelined to start the season.
J.J. McCarthy Already Part of NFL History
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted on X on July 20 that McCarthy is the only first-round quarterback in NFL history to miss his entire rookie season due to injury.
Seifert noted in a follow-up article that the Vikings are the first team to allow a quarterback with at least 30 touchdown passes in the preceding season to leave in free agency. They also pulled their offer to Daniel Jones, who ultimately signed with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.
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Their only other QBs on the roster are Brett Rypien and Sam Howell. Rypien is a career backup with a 2-2 record as QB1 in five seasons.
The Vikings acquired Howell in a trade with the Seahawks this offseason. He has a 5-13 record.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who won 14 games with a Pro Bowler in Darnold at the helm, has placed a lot of faith in McCarthy. Training camp will provide his first real test against physicality this offseason.
The Vikings need McCarthy to be the first first-round QB in league history to lead his team to the playoffs after missing his rookie season due to injury.
