A Sure Sign that J.J. McCarthy is Firmly Viewed as a Backup in Minnesota
J.J. McCarthy could be the Week 1 starter, but it would be a major surprise if that’s how things turned out.
At 21, McCarthy has a lot of runway to figure things out. Plus, the simple fact that the Vikings tossed over a $10 million commitment to Sam Darnold — alongside no shortage of praise in these past weeks and months — suggests that the veteran is firmly in the lead. Another critical factor, though, is that McCarthy barely got any work at all with Justin Jefferson.
J.J. McCarthy is Firmly in a Backup Position
Start off with people who are in the know.
Recently, Dustin Baker responded to the words from KFAN’s Paul Allen. Apparently, the Voice of the Vikings sees a scenario where McCarthy is actually the QB3. Moreover, Jeff Diamond thinks the Vikings roll with Darnold, McCarthy, and Jaren Hall as the trio of QBs (as Baker discusses). A bit higher on the depth chart, but still in a backup role.
More importantly, there are the words from Kevin O’Connell, the man being tasked with developing McCarthy and the one who will decide who is taking snaps from Garrett Bradbury.
“We haven’t had to put out a depth chart or anything like that,” O’Connell notes, “but yeah I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based upon the spring he’s had. And really where’s he at in his career, in his quarterback journey. And what he’s been able to do coming in and really hit the ground running and really kind of take advantage of a competitive situation.”
That comes close to settling the debate, doesn’t it?
Well, if you’re the kind of guy or gal who thinks that actions speak louder than words, then I’ve got something for you.
Before leaving for the summer break, J.J. McCarthy spoke to the Minnesota media. The young passer gets asked about what kind of work he has been getting with Jefferson, Minnesota’s top playmaker. McCarthy responds that they’re locker neighbors but that he only tossed a single pass in the receiver’s direction.
“Obviously, we’re locker neighbors,” McCarthy explains, “so it’s like nice to get those off-the-field interactions with him, but I think I might have thrown one ball to him.”
Whoever is playing quarterback needs to have chemistry with Justin Jefferson. The recently-signed receiver is the cornerstone of the franchise, so failing to get the ball in his hands is a surefire way to find a place on the bench.
Presumably, the QB1 is going to spend no shortage of time building a rapport with Jefferson. Yes, that means the more basic reality of getting reps with the 1st-team offense, but the takeaway from the McCarthy presser is still quite notable: the rookie only had a single pass head toward #18.
In other words, McCarthy is currently viewed as a backup and there isn’t too much debate about that simple fact.
Quite possibly, J.J. McCarthy and Justin Jefferson are the future of the Minnesota Vikings. The single pass, though, suggests that they’re far from being the present.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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