The Vikings’ Top Passer Spikes Hype as Workout Video Circulates
J.J. McCarthy is going to be the Vikings’ top passer so long as his health cooperates.
Recently, he was seen doing some extra work with his tight ends, players who are going to be crucial to the young quarterback’s success in 2025. Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis was among those to share the brief clip, commenting, “Looks like J.J. McCarthy is getting some ramp up with the TEs (per T.J. Hockenson’s instagram).”
The Vikings’ Top Passer Works with the Tight Ends
Now, a brief word of caution before anyone gets sucked too far into the hype and hope machine.
Any NFL athlete is going to look good running around in cleats and shorts. Basically anyone at this level of football is a sensational athlete; moving around unencumbered by gear or defenders is something that’s done with ease.
Keep in mind, as well, that basically any video that gets shared on social media is going to be manicured. The tight throws and strong catches are going to be shown, not the moments where the operation wasn’t as smooth.
Nevertheless, the extra work is a good thing.
Lately, the discussion around J.J. McCarthy’s arm has shifted from a perceived lack of velocity to needing to improve his touch. The reason is a good one: that’s an area McCarthy himself has acknowledged as a needed spot for growth.
Prior to coming to the NFL, J.J. McCarthy had a very promising college season. He did, after all, lead his Wolverines to the National Championship. The naysayers, though, will point toward a relatively modest set of statistics.
The 2023 season involved McCarthy going 240/332 for his passes, working out to a sizzling 72.3% completion rate. Kevin O’Connell needs a minimum of two things in his passers: top-level brains and accuracy. So, that 72.3% is of particular importance. O’Connell has spoken about the NFL being a league where completions are more important than ever, suggesting there’s value in even modest gains.
Where things are a bit more modest are the total yards and touchdowns. McCarthy’s completed passes went for just 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns. The upside is that he only tossed 4 interceptions, pointing toward solid decision making (and, of course, accuracy). Can that translate to the pros in 2025?
Last year, Sam Darnold impressed, piling up gaudy statistics that seem unlikely for the sophomore replacement.
Darnold is a high-level athlete with no shortage of arm talent. He became accurate under the guidance of O’Connell, completing 66.2% of his passes while accumulating 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Last year’s QB1 was a key factor in Minnesota’s 14-3 record, often playing a starring role in both the wins and losses.
J.J. McCarthy’s task is not to step into all of those vacated stats. Put differently, don’t look for the sophomore to soar past 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. Much more important will be playing the kind of football that can allow the Vikings to flirt with — and maybe even match — the 14 wins.
That could mean avoiding sacks, making the correct pre-snap adjustment, throwing the ball away instead of tossing picks, scrambling for a first down at critical moments, and, indeed, putting up touchdowns (among any number of other things a quarterback needs to do to push his team toward victory).
Putting in the extra work with the tight ends is a good step for J.J. McCarthy to take. A small step, yes, but a step nonetheless.
No team can win the Super Bowl in July, but there are teams that can lose the Super Bowl by eschewing the extra work that’s needed to separate themselves from the rest of the competitors.
McCarthy is 22.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Sports Reference CFB helped with this piece.
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