Hype Train Set to Roll for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings made a pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft that could change the course of their future. J.J. McCarthy is a first-round quarterback with more upside than anything we have seen in franchise history. This wasn’t a late first-round pick like Teddy Bridgewater, and it wasn’t another expensive free-agent option.
Hype Train Set to Roll for Vikings
Unfortunately, things failed to launch for McCarthy after he suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders. That ended any possibility that McCarthy would contribute in year one, but it also gave him ample time to observe the game from afar.
Now fully settled in and ready to assume the lead role, McCarthy knows both what is expected of him and what he must do to compete. The year down could have been the best thing for him, and although it didn’t provide an ideal training scenario, it gave him an entirely new perspective on the game.
Plenty of pundits are uncertain about what the Vikings are legitimately capable of this season. Much of that stems directly from expectations for McCarthy as a new signal caller. Rather than believing in whatever his ceiling may be, the greater desire has been to consider what his floor looks like.
We shouldn’t need to wait long to figure out what McCarthy can do in a real game situation. It might only take one marquee performance before talking heads want to start piling on the hype train. Kevin O’Connell won Coach of the Year honors because of his own ability, not Sam Darnold’s. That same reality exists for McCarthy this time around.
It’s fair to be skeptical of the Vikings’ defensive unit at this point. The secondary aspect leaves something to be desired, and until it is addressed, the concern will remain. That said, there’s no reason to believe that the offense can’t continue to hum at a high level, and they now have an even more dynamic quarterback under center.
McCarthy is an unknown commodity, but he could become a significant asset really quickly.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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