J.J. McCarthy Draws Hilarious QB Ranking
For the first time in a decade, the Vikings enter the preparation for a season with a young and promising quarterback who is expected to start. The last one was Teddy Bridgewater, who was drafted ten years earlier than the Michigan product, J.J. McCarthy.
J.J. McCarthy Draws Hilarious QB Ranking
The 22-year-old got his rookie year stolen from him by his own body. A torn meniscus had him rehabbing rather than competing on the practice field or in NFL stadiums.
McCarthy is the predicted starting quarterback for the 2025 Minnesota Vikings. Nobody has fully confirmed that, but it’s quite obvious since the club refused to match Seattle’s underwhelming offer for Sam Darnold and opted against signing another prominent passer like Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco. His only “competition” is Sam Howell, and the former fifth-rounder shouldn’t really be a challenge for the young signal-caller after he got traded for a bag of chips.
Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports, assembled his QB power rankings, explaining his criteria: “We decided to take stock of all 32 teams and sort today’s projected starting quarterbacks, accounting for not only their recent results but current status and outlook.”
Surprisingly, despite never attempting a pass at the NFL level, he ranked McCarthy 20th.
“A 22-year-old first-time starter with zero NFL snaps, coming off multiple knee surgeries? McCarthy’s obviously a major projection,” Benjamin remarked. “But man is he set up to excel in Minnesota, boasting an upgraded line, elite pass targets and a beloved head coach in Kevin O’Connell. A playoff push might be the expectation.”
Indeed, it is a projection. There’s still the remote chance that he, like many other quarterbacks with comparable draft pedigree, just stinks. The good news for Vikings fans is that there is zero evidence that he does stink. It’s been over 12 months since he joined the franchise, and there hasn’t been a single negative report coming from TCO Performance Center.
More good news? Benjamin is right; he is set up perfectly in Minnesota.
The offensive line is the best it’s been in years, maybe decades. Will Fries and Ryan Kelly were signed in free agency, standout tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw (once healthy) are still available, and the first-round pick was spent on another guard in Donovan Jackson.
That protection allows him to dissect the field and see which one of his standout pass-catchers is open. Between Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, newcomer Tai Felton, and solid WR3 Jalen Nailor, defenses have to pick their poison. Another item is that Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota’s captain, is in his corner, and he has gotten a ton of production out of less-talented signal-callers.
Also talented and productive was the departed Darnold. You probably wonder where he is listed after delivering a shocking Pro Bowl season in 2024. Well, the new Seahawks quarterback is not a top ten guy, he’s also not a top 20 guy. He is listed 22nd, two spots behind McCarthy.
Benjamin wrote: “Is he the guy whose commanding arm and confidence finally showed up for much of his 2024 Vikings stint? Or the guy whose eyes got jumpy amid the heat of the moment (and extra rushers) to close his Minnesota dalliance? Probably both, which is tantalizing but unpredictable material.”
Darnold was phenomenal at times, but he had a terrible stretch in the middle of the season, and he totally fell apart in the final two games of the year, those with the highest stakes. Was he a product of O’Connell’s mastery and Justin Jefferson and gang, or is he really good and just had a couple of bad days? That remains to be seen.
In the upcoming season, the Vikings will travel to Seattle, and presumably, viewers will get the matchup between McCarthy and Darnold. That could be intriguing enough to earn a primetime slot.
The ex-Viking isn’t the only prominent player behind McCarthy. McCarthy is also listed ahead of Tua Tagovailoa (21), the productive but injury-riddled Dolphin, and Kyler Murray, the inconsistent but flashy Cardinal (23).
You must be logged in to post a comment.