We Have J.J. McCarthy Fear Bait
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is fully in line to take over QB1 responsibilities in 2025 after the team drafted him 10th overall in 2024.
We Have J.J. McCarthy Fear Bait
McCarthy tore his meniscus in his first-ever preseason game last August after electrifying fans for about 45 minutes. His teammate, Sam Darnold, assumed the QB1 job and promptly dimed 35 passing touchdowns with 4,319 passing yards last season.
Now, Darnold is the top dog for the Seattle Seahawks after bolting in free agency, and McCarthy has no serious competition for QB1. However, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded for Sam Howell last weekend, a man on tap to hold down the fort as QB2.
And according to an anonymous executive via The Athletic, Howell will get a chance to shine because McCarthy will get hurt — classic fear bait.
Anonymous Exec Predicts J.J. McCarthy Injury
The Athletic‘s Mike Sando detailed rumblings from anonymous executives regarding all NFC teams, and for the Vikings, fear emerged.
Sando set the table: “The Vikings’ quarterback situation has dominated this offseason, complete with some Aaron Rodgers intrigue, but after Minnesota acquired Sam Howell from Seattle to back up 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, all is finally settled, right?”
One unnamed executive then told Sando, “You know what is going to happen? J.J. is going to get banged up, and Howell is going to walk in there and become the next Sam Darnold.”
It’s worth noting that the quote is just some guy’s prediction. There’s no tangible evidence to suggest McCarthy is at risk of re-injury.
Per Sando, a different executive counted the fear bait: “Stop. There’s no comparison. J.J. will be really good, and the coach (Kevin O’Connell) will make sure he is good.”
A Wild Prediction
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that McCarthy could fall injured again. McCarthy’s meniscus tear disappointed fans to the utmost, bringing out the most cynical thoughts from Minnesotans, along with “we can’t have nice things” memes.
But to simply toss out there, “He will get hurt again,” is wild conjecture.
Any player can get hurt at any time. It’s the nature of the beast. Thankfully, for McCarthy’s sake and the aspirations of Vikings fans, a meniscus tear isn’t an utterly devastating injury. In fact, many national pundits often confused McCarthy’s injury with an ACL tear in the last nine months, although it was his meniscus, not an ACL.
McCarthy’s Teammates on His Offseason
Meanwhile, McCarthy spoke to reporters this week, telling the media that he’s ready for the bright lights of the QB1 job and claiming that his injury recovery is 110% in the books.
McCarthy’s teammates loved it, and they love him.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill, one of the longest-tenured Vikings players, told reporters about the 22-year-old passer: “You can tell he wants it really bad. He does all the right things. He was here all winter, got his knee fully healthy — or, he looks fully healthy to me. He’s out there running around, throwing it around, and it’s good to have him in a lot more meetings.”
“He was in a lot of quarterback meetings last year, but it’s good to have him in our offensive line meetings. I mean, we went over our entire snap count roster today with him, all the different snap counts we do. It’s good to have that kind of interaction with him, knowing he’s gonna be the guy.”
Safety Josh Metellus piled on. “You felt his energy then. To have poise the way he does, I think it goes a long way, especially for a team — especially for the leader of a team. For our quarterback to not even have stepped on the field yet and already have that poise, that energy when he walks in the building, is very special,” Metellus said about McCarthy’s initial Michigan recruiting visit.
Metellus, too, is a Michigan alumnus.
He added, “I could talk about his abilities on the field all day … but for a guy to be the person he is in the building is something to look forward to.”
Fans No Stranger to QB2
If the anonymous executive’s little theory came true — McCarthy getting hurt — well, the Vikings have seen this movie before. Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in October 2023, and Joshua Dobbs + Nick Mullens filled in admirably for three months.
And Darnold reached the Pro Bowl when McCarthy busted his meniscus.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is considered a “quarterback whisperer” by the NFL’s body politic, so, for better or worse, the Vikings’ enterprise wouldn’t crumble without McCarthy.
It’s just that his career trajectory would be in a rough spot after another injury.
Other Draft Musings from The Athletic
Sando’s piece also mentioned the Vikings’ 1st-Rounder Donovan Jackson, a guard from Ohio State. An exec opined, “I would probably pick Jackson first of the three. He has played left tackle. He may be a better guard. The versatility and athleticism gives them options up front. He can probably play anywhere.”
Another source added about 3rd-Round wide receiver Tai Felton: “He doesn’t look that fast running routes. He runs down inside and takes hits, and then when he gets the ball in his hands, he looks 4.37.”
Vikings rookie minicamp kicks off late next week.
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