Are J.J. McCarthy’s Shoulders Broad Enough to Salvage Season?
Here’s the thing: J.J. McCarthy was drafted to be the quarterback of the future for the Minnesota Vikings. So far, he has played just two games in the first 25 games he has been a professional. That’s anything but ideal. Now he’ll return, and the weight of the world is on his shoulders.
J.J. McCarthy returns for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and he can be the reason a potentially sour season winds up holding weight.
Here’s the other thing: It really doesn’t matter how this season ends for the Vikings. At 3-4, the team has already fumbled an early opportunity to put themselves in a positive situation. It’s possible that McCarthy returns, sets the world on fire, and makes any talk of Drake Maye look hilarious.
The Vikings Turn to J.J. McCarthy for Salvation
However, it’s also possible he plays lights out and the team still wins. This Vikings team was built to win now, and the veteran free-agent class has largely flopped. It wouldn’t be a shock to see McCarthy generate wins despite his teammates, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Minnesota lose games in spite of the quarterback play.
While it’s straightforward to suggest that the Vikings’ season would be salvaged by a second-half turnaround that vaults them back up the standings and into the playoffs, there’s more nuance than that. McCarthy could salvage the season by showing that the belief in his services was warranted.
We have yet to see what the Michigan youngster dreamed of. McCarthy pulled off an impressive comeback in his first game against the Chicago Bears. That was primarily necessitated by his own ineptitude early on, but the result was still positive. Against the Atlanta Falcons, there are only two mediocre quarters to draw on, and that leaves any evaluation in a tough spot.
It’s fair to assume there will still be some lingering effects of McCarthy’s high ankle sprain. However, O’Connell has seemingly taken the kid gloves off to the extent that his quarterback is ready to go. That belief is something the head coach has largely shielded the youngster from thus far.
With 10 games remaining, McCarthy enters a prove-it period to make Minnesota’s decision to draft him look right. If he does, then there’s immediate hope for the future. If it doesn’t play out like that, things could blow up in an unrelenting way.
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