The Minnesota Vikings made the bold offseason decision to pivot from Sam Darnold to second year pro JJ McCarthy, one year removed from a strong season by Darnold in the Twin Cities.
Darnold is now in Seattle and McCarthy is slowly but surely on his way to taking the reins of the Vikings' offense nine days out from mandatory minicamp.
This weekend, a statistical analysis of McCarthy's exploits at Vikings OTAs was revealed, painting the picture of a deadly efficient quarterback who appears in command of the Vikings offense just months removed from a torn meniscus injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024-25 season.
McCarthy has continued his strong rapport with Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson both on and off the field while leading the Vikings in OTA passing.
According to a National Football League post on X, McCarthy has completed a whopping 58-of-66 passes during OTAs, ranking him among the top QBs in the league in practice.
He has completed 88 percent of his passes and thrown for 23 touchdowns against one interception.
"JJ is proving why he's a top QB," one observer wrote with a lightning bolt emoji as they shared the latest stats update.
McCarthy showed a world of promise during preseason play and Vikings camp last season.
With his rifle arm and quick feet, he could be poised to become one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC in the next few years, although it's anyone's guess as to how long it will take.
McCarthy has a strong supporting cast and a veteran team around him, adding to expectations for year one in Minneapolis, even among a division packed with talented young teams including the Lions, Bears and Packers.
