It’s Time for the J.J. McCarthy Discourse to End
We are still a few days away from the Minnesota Vikings kicking off their 2025 regular season. If the offseason has felt long, it’s likely because it has been months of J.J. McCarthy opinions being slung all over the place. Last year’s 12th overall pick got hurt before he could ever appear in a regular season game. That’s no longer going to be the case.
J.J. McCarthy makes his highly anticipated Minnesota Vikings debut in a matter of days, and the result can finally end the discourse.
When the Minnesota Vikings take the field against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, one-time childhood Bears fan J.J. McCarthy will be under center. It will probably be a surreal moment for him. After he calls for the first snap, instincts will take over.
It’s Nearing Showtime for J.J. McCarthy
There have been opinions slung all over the place regarding McCarthy. Everything from him being the next big thing in the league to a running game merchant that will quickly flame out exists. It’s gotten old. It’s been tiring. I’m ready for it to stop.
One week isn’t going to define the career of McCarthy, or establish the future (immediate or otherwise) of the Minnesota Vikings. What it will do is give us real, actionable data points.
To this point, we have seen McCarthy in action against the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans during limited preseason action. There has been a joint practice film and reps taking place against uncovered wide receivers. For real this time, it will count.
McCarthy represents hope for the Vikings and their fanbase. Nothing is more impactful to a franchise than a talented quarterback on a rookie contract. That presence allows for roster construction to take place around the most important position in sports, and dollars can be allocated elsewhere.
The Vikings don’t have a roster flush with spring chickens, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s inability to hit on draft picks has further hampered that. If he’s right about McCarthy and things improve as the season progresses, then nothing else will matter.
We already know Kevin O’Connell is an exceptional coach. He coaxed Josh Dobbs into a win with no preparation. He made Nick Mullens look competent. He polished Sam Darnold into something ultimately worthy of $100 million.
McCarthy is better clay than all of that. What can the two do together? We’ll soon find out.
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