One Huge Question Still Hangs over the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings will embark on the regular season in 68 days, and when they get there, all eyes will turn to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Training camp is close, but one central question still looms over the Vikings. It is as self-evident as it is important.
There’s no interest point greater than McCarthy, who the Vikings picked from Round 1 in 2024. McCarthy missed his rookie season with a torn meniscus, but now he is back and ready to assume the QB1 job.
However, his inexperience is the only cliffhanging item regarding the Vikings’ upcoming season.
J.J. McCarthy Is the One Question Mark for Vikings
McCarthy is all the rage at the moment, which will continue into the regular season.
The Athletic identified one lingering question for each NFL team this week, and for Minnesota, it was McCarthy’s game-readiness.
Alec Lewis explained, “Is J.J. McCarthy’s floor high enough for a team as loaded as this one is? The Vikings are spending $357 million on the 2025 roster, more than any other NFL team. They’re loaded.”
“It’s not just superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. It’s not just an already vaunted defense injected with veterans like Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. It’s third-year pro Jordan Addison. It’s tight end T.J. Hockenson. Scan up and down the roster and you’ll be hard-pressed to find major holes.”
The Vikings spent that fortune in free agency to fortify a Super Bowl-caliber roster around McCarthy.
“The biggest question may come at the game’s most important position. J.J. McCarthy, who last year tore his meniscus, is preparing for his first season as a starter. The Vikings passed up on other veterans to give him his deserved opportunity, and they believe he’ll be ready,” Lewis continued.
“It’s hard to argue with a coach and play caller in Kevin O’Connell, who has produced three 4,000-yard seasons with different quarterbacks.”
The Vikings’ Big Question Mark? You Know What It Is
J.J. McCarthy is the key to determining the Vikings’ 2025 upside.
The Roster Is Glorious Otherwise
Look around the Vikings’ depth chart. Aside from possibly the cornerback room, the club has no discernible weaknesses — maybe the first time onlookers could say such a statement since 2009.
Lewis is correct when he says the roster is “loaded.” It is.
It’s up to McCarthy to avoid a barrage of rookie mistakes and squandering a tailor-made roster.
Vegas Forecast Modest Accordingly
Oddsmakers, on the other hand, believe McCarthy will take his lumps — play like a rookie.
Minnesota is expected to win eight or nine games this season, and if accurate, the team would battle for a sixth or seventh playoff seed in the NFC.
Based on the roster personnel, and if the Vikings employed a proven Pro Bowl quarterback, the win-loss over-under would likely be 10.5 games, not 8.5.
It’s McCarthy’s inexperience that has Vegas leery.
On-the-Job Training for J.J. McCarthy
So, what does all this mean? Simple — McCarthy must grow, develop, and mature on the fly, with a Super Bowl-contending roster in every direction he turns.
He has playmakers galore named Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Mason, Jalen Nailor, and rookie Tai Felton. McCarthy also has the NFL’s second-best defense from a season ago.
And if that’s not enough, his head coach has been labeled the “quarterback whisperer.”
It’s the best on-the-job training imaginable.
Packers, Lions Lingering Questions
The Athletic also defined the Packers’ main question mark.
Matt Schneidman wrote, “Will Lukas Van Ness play like a first-round pick? The Packers’ pass rush was too inconsistent for general manager Brian Gutekunst’s liking last season, but he has opted to trust the guys already on the team instead of making a splash offseason addition. The player who needs to take the biggest jump this season, perhaps on the entire team, is 2023 first-round defensive end Lukas Van Ness.”
“He has yet to break out, and his emergence could be the key to a more consistent pass rush, not only because it would mean more production from him but also because it would free up Rashan Gary from double teams and chips that may have slowed him down in the past.”
And Colton Pouncy on the Lions’: “Could the Lions’ offensive line take a step back in 2025? The Lions’ offensive line, viewed as one of the league’s best for several seasons now, is in a transitional period. Franchise pillar Frank Ragnow announced his retirement at 29 this summer.”
“Kevin Zeitler provided Pro-Bowl caliber play at right guard last season, but left in free agency. Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow will be 32 and 33, respectively, when the season begins.”
Vikings training camp is 24 days away.
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