The Grim and Slim J.J. McCarthy Kerfuffle is Now Fully Kaput
For a little while, there were some concerns about J.J. McCarthy. More specifically, how much weight the QB was carrying around on his frame.
Fast forward into the offseason and there’s very little (if any) reason to have ongoing concern about the matter.
In a press conference in late April, McCarthy took on a question about losing weight in his recovery process: “I’m somebody that needs to workout in order to put on weight. So I’m back up to 215, exactly where I want to be […] Feel like I’m in a really comfortable spot and just kind of maintaining from here.” The QB then says he dropped down into the “high 180s-range” but that only “two-and-a-half weeks” of work got him back to his ideal weight.
The J.J. McCarthy Weight Kerfuffle
If all of this seems a bit silly, it’s because it is to a certain extent. Nevertheless, stick with the thought for a bit.
McCarthy, 22, isn’t the world’s most imposing football player. Even shrinking things down to just the quarterback position would leave him behind a lot of options. No one is mistaking him for Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, or Ben Roethlisberger. Now toss in the simple reality that he’s coming off a lost season due to injury and maybe the concern is a bit more understandable.
The 6’3″ passer is coming in at 215. Solid, but not huge. As a point of comparison, note that Kirk Cousins is listed at 6’3″ and 205 pounds (he’s probably heavier) and Sam Darnold comes in at 6’3″ and 225 pounds.
Back in January, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert offered some thoughts on the situation.
“Listed at 219 pounds at the start of training camp,” Seifert writes, “McCarthy dropped more than 20 pounds this fall, following a pattern familiar for many football players who put strength workouts on hold during the rehabilitation process. McCarthy has plenty of time to regain the weight before OTA practices this spring.”
Moreover, Dustin Baker has written about the situation on Vikings Territory, doing so in response to Jason La Canfora articulating similar concerns about J.J. McCarthy’s weight issue.
Add it all together and there was at least a bit of anxiety about the issue. After all, the quarterback spot does demand some ruggedness, toughness, and (at times) physicality. Standing in the pocket to deliver a pass while a massive defender approaches isn’t for the faint of heart. Being able to get walloped and then keep on going is a coveted ability in a quarterback.
The other bit of good news is simply that head coach Kevin O’Connell recently corroborated McCarthy’s words, doing so in a conversation with Kay Adams.
“[J.J. McCarthy has] done his part,” O’Connell explained, “I’ll tell you that. He’s killed the rehab process. He’s got his weight back up, he’s strong. He’s probably, metric wise, a lot further along and beyond even where he was before the injury last year. So very excited to officially get this thing going with him.”
Per the head coach, Mr. McCarthy is back and better than ever. Per the man himself, the quarterback is back at the desired weight and feeling good. The weight issue is now a non-issue, officially kaput as we move ahead into the team building up toward Week 1 in September.
The hard work can now begin. J.J. McCarthy needs to prove through the spring and summer that he’s well-equipped to wear the QB1 crown. Basically every update has been positive, but the sophomore still needs to step onto the field and earn his spot.
Thankfully, he’ll be doing so at a great spot physically.
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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 Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
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