Before Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones shared a locker room with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Jones and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers were teammates with the Green Bay Packers from 2017 through the 2022 season.
Jones recently claimed that he sees some of Rodgers in McCarthy heading into what could become a franchise-altering campaign for the Vikings.
"[McCarthy] is a very, very hungry and driven player, but also a leader," Jones explained, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame shared. "He’s different. In terms of the smarts, I put him in that category with Aaron Rodgers, in terms of how smart he is and really having an understanding for the game."
That's high praise considering Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP who is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. That said, nobody knows what McCarthy will be as a pro after the 2024 first-round draft pick spent his first NFL season recovering from a meniscus repair.
McCarthy returned to the playing field when he completed four of seven pass attempts for 30 yards in Minnesota's 20-10 preseason win over the Houston Texans on Saturday. He also tested his surgically-repaired knee when he used his legs to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-4 situation in the game's first quarter.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell could've pushed for the club to re-sign Sam Darnold after he guided Minnesota to a 14-3 record last season. O'Connell and Co. had "conversations" about possibly signing Rodgers before McCarthy received the keys to the Minnesota offense ahead of training camp.
Jones seems to believe O'Connell and Co. made the right call.
"He’s been amazing," Jones added about McCarthy. "I’m honestly confident in what we have here. I feel like we have everything we need, all the pieces we need here. I feel like J.J. is going to surprise a lot of people."
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Vikings seventh among the betting favorites at +1100 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX.
It will be interesting to see how McCarthy handles the pressure when Minnesota opens the regular season with a "Monday Night Football" matchup at the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8.
