Second-year QB J.J. McCarthy is in line for the Minnesota Vikings’ starting job in 2025 after they traded up in the 2024 draft from No. 11 to No. 10 to select the former Michigan Wolverines QB and national champion.
McCarthy missed his rookie campaign after tearing his meniscus in the 2024 preseason opener.
However, the organization is showing its faith in McCarthy. Amid that, the QB opened up about his recovery and offered encouraging comments for Vikings fans.
“Recovery is not a linear timeline. There will be peaks and valleys,” the Vikings posted on X on March 24, captioning a video of McCarthy discussing his rehab. “[McCarthy]’s mindset helped him as he attacked his recovery his rookie season.”
McCarthy discussed his first NFL game. He also noted how jarring his season-ending injury was.
“It was a magical experience. And the way the game played out, I was really happy because being able to start off rough with the interception, and coming back and responding in the way that I did –,” McCarthy said during the video shared by the Vikings in partnership with SleepNumber on March 24. “I’m gonna be resilient, no matter what happens. There’s going to be more down the line.
“Being all revved up, ready to go for the season, and it getting taken away from me, being able to channel all that energy – the mental aspect of myself, the spiritual aspect – it’s something that now is being revealed to me I really need it, And I really needed to ground myself and work on the deeper foundational stuff before my life and my career really takes off.”
The Vikings’ post serves as a reminder of what is yet to come, but McCarthy is focused.
“There’s a positive and negative to everything,” McCarthy said. “See the positive, focus on the positive, and live out the positive.
“They told me going into it, this isn’t a straight line up. You’re going to have peaks and valleys with this thing. So I’m just going with the flow right now, trying to listen as best as I can. Good things come to those who wait.”
Vikings fans also fit under that banner. Moreover, McCarthy is ready to deliver for them.
“What the Minnesota Vikings fans can expect from me is someone that they haven’t seen before,” McCarthy said. “They haven’t seen in Preseason 1; that’s a different guy. I’m gonna give it my all, every single snap. Not just every game. Every single snap, every single practice, every single meeting.”
J.J. McCarthy Raises Eyebrows With Weight Gain
McCarthy has fully recovered from two procedures to address the injury and ensuing swelling. However, his weight loss – a side effect of his rehab – received similar attention.
Roughly two months after that, McCarthy’s weight is again catching attention.
Kay Adams teased an interview with the second-year passer. She also included an image of McCarthy, and the QB appeared noticeably bulkier than he did at the end of the 2024 season.
“#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy with a noticeable size difference since the end of last season [eyes emoji],” one fan posted on X shortly after the team’s video. “It was reported that JJ is currently sitting at around 210 pounds.”
McCarthy’s weight may not have been a significant concern since it is common for recovering athletes to shed weight.
However, seeing that he is indeed on track validates the reports that have surfaced.
Adam Schefter: Vikings are ‘J.J. McCarthy’s Team’
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero also reported McCarthy was regaining weight during the week prior.
He also echoed colleague Ian Rapoport’s assertion that the “Vikings are McCarthy’s team.
“I am told the Vikings have rejected multiple trade calls involving their young quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, telling teams they are moving forward with McCarthy as their quarterback,” Pelissero reported on “The Insiders” on March 19. “J.J. McCarthy now enters the offseason as QB1.”
The Vikings have opted against pursuing Aaron Rodgers. They also left Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill sitting in free agency.
“The Vikings have full confidence in J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback. This is not just about 2025. It’s about 2026, 2027 –, making sure that they are developing him into the franchise quarterback they believe that he can be,” Pelissero said. “J.J. McCarthy’s knee – in which he had surgery for a torn meniscus last year; cost his rookie season – I am told is not an issue. He has put weight back on. He’s weighing upwards of 200 pounds. He’s been working out at the facility regularly and really looks good.”
Brett Rypien is the only other quarterback on the Vikings roster as of March 24. The Vikings are also still exploring veteran options. However, that is only to back up McCarthy.
As a result, McCarthy’s outlook gains more momentum.
