Would the Minnesota Vikings turn to Ryan Tannehill? Is Aaron Rodgers still in the picture? Whatever the case in the quarterback drama, J.J. McCarthy dropped a bombshell revelation to Kay Adams, according to a post on X by the Up & Adams Show.
J.J. McCarthy reveals the Minnesota Vikings haven’t told him he’s the No. 1 QB, and he’s “happy they didn’t.”
OK, let’s get real here for a minute. Adams loves a clicky story just like the next 21st-century “journalist.” But the Vikings currently have two quarterbacks on the roster. One is Brett Rypien. The other is McCarthy. So, McCarthy saying he hasn’t been told he’s the starting quarterback is silly. Like Rypien is going to push him? What are the Vikings doing? Don’t they trust McCarthy?
Vikings J.J. McCarthy trying to find motivation
Perhaps McCarthy wants to feel like he’s under pressure.
“And I’m happy they didn’t,” McCarthy said of not being informed of something so obvious at this point. “Because I try to earn it every single day. And I never want that to be given to me. It’s such a privilege and opportunity to give me that chance and I’m just going to make the most of it every single day.”
There’s nothing wrong with McCarthy wanting to earn the starting position. But the Vikings have structured their team in a way that there’s literally no other realistic option.
Fast forward and the Vikings do a 180 and sign Aaron Rodgers. Then McCarthy’s comments would have teeth. It would make sense for him to feel pressure to earn the job. After all, that’s a Hall of Famer in the building.
As for Tannehill, he’ll turn 37 years old this summer. And he hasn’t played since 2023. There’s no heat coming there. If McCarthy can’t beat out Tannehill, he doesn’t deserve to be an NFL starter.
Sure, the Vikings can dangle these washed-up quarterbacks in front of McCarthy. But why should they? McCarthy is their guy, and they should tell him such. They should trust him. And that trust should be enough motivation.
Bouncing back from his 2024 injury should be more motivation. McCarthy became the first NFL quarterback in the modern draft era to miss his entire rookie season because of an injury after tearing the meniscus in his right knee last August, according to ESPN. He underwent a second surgery in November to investigate the cause of swelling, after which doctors gave him a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.
