Vikings Defender Says J.J. McCarthy Is Playing Great
Think J.J. McCarthy is struggling? Don’t tell Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus. The veteran defensive back claimed after Sunday’s loss at the Green Bay Packers that his quarterback is playing “great,” which is news to most.
One Vikings defensive back says J.J. McCarthy is playing great, adding fresh backing to the rookie as evaluations and expectations continue to build.
Metellus, a team captain, is sticking by his guy at a time when fans are starting to question whether the franchise drafted a bust.
Vikings Safety Josh Metellus Says J.J. McCarthy Is Playing Wonderfully
The man sees something the rest of the world does not.
Metellus Pounds the Table for McCarthy
While Vikings fans and NFL pundits discussed how terribly McCarthy has played through six starts, Metellus told reporters that the guy has played marvelously.
“I ain’t going to lie, I think No. 9 is playing great,” Metellus told reporters. “When you don’t play as a full team, and we don’t give each other a chance to win, quarterbacks get the blame. Just like DBs get the blame when some run pops off, we miss a tackle, and it goes for a long gain.”
“It’s never just one guy. In terms of his ability to grow and develop, we’re talking about a guy who’s had six starts? I think he’s playing really well. I know he’s going to keep getting better. I know the kind of guy he is. Shout out to J.J. for being able to step in and just keep going and ignore the noise.”
The remarks caught listeners off guard because McCarthy has performed at a level opposite to great.
Metellus concluded, “I don’t know too much about what’s going on, but I know it’s not just a QB problem. It’s an all-11 problem. Whenever we’re all on the field, we all have to play as one.”
What the Numbers Show
McCarthy ranks dead last in the NFL per EPA+CPOE. Dillon Gabriel has played better than him this season: Christian Ponder played better as a rookie through six games in 2011.
Basically, every quarterback in modern history through six career starts has played better than McCarthy, so long as his name is not JaMarcus Russell.
McCarthy, in fact, is not playing great despite Metellus’ assertion to the contrary. Perhaps Metellus was impressed with McCarthy’s late-game heroics in Week 1 over the Chicago Bears, game-sealing completion at the Detroit Lions in Week 9, and his near game-winning touchdown pass versus the Bears in Week 11 that was later ruined by a special teams gaffe.
Just Supportive Teammate Talk
What’s going on here? Just a teammate and a captain being a good teammate and a good captain. Metellus has been a part of the NFL since 2020. He knows great quarterback play. He’s not seeing it from McCarthy, even if he’s saying it out loud.
There is a chance that McCarthy eventually “figures it out,” and then, in hindsight, Metellus can have bragging rights that he knew all along.
In fact, most of McCarthy’s teammates are verbally supportive. He’s a fantastic dude who is just overwhelmed at the moment. Overwhelmed and habitually injured.
McCarthy Facing the Shelf in Week 13
Star Tribune‘s Emily Leiker wrote Monday, “Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is in the concussion protocol after reporting symptoms during the Vikings’ travel home from Green Bay, Wis., on Sunday, coach Kevin O’Connell announced at his news conference Monday.”
“McCarthy’s availability for the Vikings’ trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Sunday is unclear. O’Connell said it was ‘too early’ to say whether undrafted free agent and former Gopher Max Brosmer would start against the Seahawks. The coach did say Brosmer will run the first-team offense at practice while McCarthy is in the protocol.”
The young passer is on track to miss his 23rd career game of an eligible 28. Not great.
SI.com on McCarthy
Will Ragatz of SI.com wrote about McCarthy’s Week 12 showing, “The overall conclusion is that while McCarthy obviously played poorly, it maybe wasn’t as much of an utter quarterback meltdown as it seemed to be in the moment. Trailing in the second half against Parsons and the Packers, on the road, is a very difficult position for a young quarterback to be in.”
“It’s still too early to give up on McCarthy entirely. The issue is that he looks like a guy whose confidence is gone. And for that reason, having him take a step back and giving Max Brosmer an opportunity this weekend in Seattle might’ve been a good idea even if McCarthy hadn’t wound up with concussion-like symptoms. He could probably use a mental reset before returning to action and trying to generate some positive momentum down the stretch of this season.”
The Vikings face the aforementioned Seahawks on Sunday and are expected to lose by 10 or 11 points.
It’s also worth noting that Metellus, too, has struggled in 2025 compared to his previous campaigns.
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