I realize that most of the hesitation from media types and “analysts” about the potential of the Vikings is based on how JJ McCarty is going to play. It is fair to be cautious in your assessment but there is way too many folks who are simply assuming he is going to be “average”. You do not see many of these folks comparing what JJ might do to what the rookie QBs last year were able to do. I think it is very fair to predict that JJ will have a similar season and that is without comparing the supporting
casts. I am not a homer but the narrative that has been presented seems lazy to me. Our favorite negative Nancy had something to say again.
‘C quarterback’: Colin Cowherd takes another dig at J.J. McCarthy
Colin Cowherd’s strange obsession with publicly doubting J.J. McCarthy reared its ugly head again when he
“J.J. McCarthy, you’re going to see it very quickly. Is not what people think,” Cowherd said. “J.J. McCarthy is a C quarterback. You ever seen J.J. McCarthy’s fourth quarter college stats and playing from behind fourth quarter stats in college, with Michigan and Harbaugh and that O-line.? They’re terrible.”
Okay. Let’s go look at Michigan’s 2023 undefeated season and find the games where fourth quarter play really mattered: against Ohio State late in the regular season and versus Alabama in the national semifinals. Here’s what you’ll find:
4Q vs. Ohio State: 5-of-5 passing on two drives that ended with field goals
4Q vs. Alabama: 5-of-9 for 87 yards and a touchdown
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
One of camp’s most interesting players is second-year OLB Dallas Turner. The change in his physique from the end of last year to Day 1 of camp is noticeable.
“He came back from the jump in the off-season program, just his body, the shape he was in just looks so strong,” O’Connell said. “I think he’s gained a lot of strength.”
Where does Turner fit in though? With Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel both turning in star performances in 2024, there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut job for him. Apparently they like it that way.
“We’ve got three starters, we really feel like that,” O’Connell said. “That’s a testament to the work Dallas has put in, and he’s going to get a lot of opportunities, different personnel groupings.”
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“Aaron Jones can run in between the tackles, he can catch the ball, he can block in protection, he can line up anywhere in the formation,” O’Connell said. “Jordan Mason has proven already to be well ahead of new players in the system from a protection standpoint. And clearly, he’s got the body type to be a physical presence. So, I really see those guys playing off of each other, where we can keep them both fresh, keep them both in attack mode when they’re in there.”
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At this point, there isn’t a lot left to ask JJ McCarthy. Everybody just needs to see him get out there and practice. However, he did talk about his quick bond with center Ryan Kelly.
“Both on the field and off the field. He’s been amazing. One of the most favorite teammates I’ve ever had, just his knowledge about the game but who he is as a man,” McCarthy said. “It’s really one of a kind, the depth of knowledge, how he attacks every single day, how he is as a dad, all the things that I get to learn from him on and off the field. It’s a tremendous blessing.”
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O’Connell’s emphasis on “situational football” came up on Monday. McCarthy was asked about how he views
“I would say [situational football] is the way you play the position as a quarterback,” McCarthy said. “You have to know the situation in every single play of the game, understand the defense just got off the field are we really trying to take a shot here or are we really trying to move the sticks and just keep the possession going? Really take in a multitude of factors within each drive, but I feel like that’s just the number one thing with the quarterback is handling the situations and making the right decisions and ultimately that leads to the most probability of winning football games.”
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— Hockenson worked out with JJ McCarthy in Nashville over the summer. The two got to get to know each other on the field and off the field. Hockenson said that it was much, much better for him this year during the offseason being able to work out and get proper rest rather than rehabbing as he did last offseason. He also talked about what it’s like catching the football from McCarthy:
“He puts it in the spot it needs to be almost every time, there are times he will fit it in a tight window as you saw today at the end [of practice] but you know where it’s going to be,” Hockenson said. “It’s not dropping off the table. It’s zipping on you. It’s a fun ball to catch. In the past I’ve compared it to [Matthew Stafford]’s ball where it just gets on you.”
Vikings training camp recap, Day 1: J.J. McCarthy, Josh Metellus, ‘Gink 6’
McCarthy’s first pass of the afternoon, in 11-on-11 action, sailed deep to nobody because he and Justin Jefferson weren’t on the same page. And after rolling out and finding Jalen Nailor on a short completion, McCarthy couldn’t quite connect over the middle of the field with Jordan Addison and then Jefferson on consecutive plays against the second-team defense. The latter featured an impressive pass breakup from Theo Jackson, who closed downhill against Jefferson.
But when the Vikings went to a 7-on-7 period, McCarthy found his rhythm and started rolling. He hit T.J. Hockenson and Jefferson on short completions. Then he dropped back and threw an absolutely perfect strike deep up the right sideline to Addison for a 60-yard touchdown. Addison wasn’t tightly covered, but it was still a ‘wow’ moment of arm strength and pinpoint accuracy. McCarthy kept cruising after that, with his only incompletion of the period coming when Byron Murphy Jr. made a great play to break up a pass for Jefferson over the middle of the field.
The momentum carried over into the third and final period of the practice, which was back to 11-on-11. McCarthy connected with Hockenson multiple times, including a great throw into tight coverage on the final play of the day (albeit one where he was probably sacked before getting the throw off). He also made a nice throw into traffic that Jefferson couldn’t quite come down with, which prompted the superstar receiver to do some push-ups in the huddle.
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On Wednesday, however, Metellus was a full participant. He was out there for every rep with the first-team defense, which he talked about after practice.
“Just getting closer to the season,” he said. “Still gotta build that chemistry with the guys. Lotta new guys in the DB room, like Jefe (Jeff Okudah) and Zay (Isaiah Rodgers) that I need to get reps with. Obviously, with Cam (Bynum) leaving, the defense looks a little bit different, so it’s just about getting comfortable and doing this thing that I love. I love playing football, so, can’t keep me off the field too long.”
Metellus said the dialogue has been good between his agent and the Vikings, echoing what GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said one day earlier. He reiterated what he said back during OTAs, which is that his tape over the last two years speaks for itself. He’s optimistic something will get done but is leaving that up to the parties who are directly involved in those talks. In the meantime, he’s playing football.
“I’m not too worried about what’s going on on that side,” Metellus said. “I’m just doing my part, being here for the team, trying to be a leader, a captain, and I can’t do that on the sideline. A big part of it is the guy I am in this building is a guy who’s out in front leading the way, so it makes no sense for me not to do it.”
3 Observations: Van Ginkel with a Sequel Pick, McCarthy TD to Addison Open 2025 Camp
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 6 Minnesota Vikings put their trust in J.J. McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games last season. Their only losses were to two division winners: the 15-2 Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. Had they won in Week 18 at Detroit, they would have been the No. 1 seed in the NFC and one of nine teams in NFL history to win 15 regular-season games.
Not that the Vikings’ breakout season has been forgotten, but it has been dismissed. The Vikings, after a good offseason, find their win total at BetMGM to be 8.5. A team that went 14-3 a season ago without a bad loss, then had a very good offseason, is expected by oddsmakers to be .500. Everyone must think Sam Darnold, who the Vikings moved on from, is a no-doubt superstar who can’t be replaced, right? (No, in fact, nobody is saying that this offseason.)
If you believe Darnold is below average and also believe the Vikings are going to come crashing back to mediocrity, you must really, really dislike J.J. McCarthy. There’s no great reason for that either.
The Vikings showed last season that their foundation is strong. Kevin O’Connell has shown he is one of the NFL coaches who can elevate whatever roster he is given to work with, especially at quarterback, and his 2023 hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores changed Minnesota’s defense. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison (who could face a suspension after pleading to a lesser offense following being arrested on suspicion of DUI), T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones are very good skill-position players around the quarterback position. The offensive line got some huge upgrades in free agency, and getting left tackle Christian Darrisaw back from a knee injury will be big, even if the Vikings take it slow with Darrisaw and he misses the beginning of the season.
There are some tangible reasons, aside from the quarterback change, to believe the Vikings don’t come close to 14 wins again. They won eight of nine games decided by one possession, which was a bit lucky. The schedule gets tougher. Maybe opponents finally have a plan to beat Flores’ hyper-aggressive approach.
But the Vikings were a good team last season. Assuming McCarthy isn’t a total bust, they should be pretty good again, even if nobody seems to be projecting that to be the case.
2025 Minnesota Vikings training camp: Latest intel, updates
After a full offseason of throwing to his teammates, and before a training camp that would feature a lot more throwing, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had an idea: How about some throwing?
McCarthy organized a pair of on-field workouts with teammates this summer, one near Nashville, Tennessee, and another in a St. Paul, Minnesota, suburb, in preparation for his first season as an NFL starter. Opinions vary on the significance of such workouts, but McCarthy said there is a value in volume.
“The more reps the better,” McCarthy said Wednesday after the Vikings’ first practice of training camp. “A lot of this offense is based on timing and rhythm, and being able to get as many reps as possible is going to [be] important going into this camp and this season.”
In Tennessee, McCarthy met up with tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver, along with running backs Jordan Mason and Ty Chandler. He was joined by a larger group in Minnesota that also included receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
“It’s always good building a good connection outside of the building whenever you can,” Addison said, “and just keep that chemistry going. It was high vibes good spirit, and just having fun.”
The 10 most interesting players at Vikings training camp in 2025
1. QB J.J. McCarthy
There’s nowhere else we could possibly start. One national analyst recently called him “the most interesting man in the NFL” heading into training camps across the league. The opportunity that’s in front of McCarthy is a rare, unprecedented one. Now healthy after missing his rookie season with a torn meniscus, last year’s No. 10 overall pick has the weight of an entire franchise and fan base on his shoulders. If he’s even decent this season, the win-now Vikings have a chance to be really, really good. That’s how star-studded this roster and coaching staff are. If he struggles, all of the pieces around him won’t matter a whole lot, and questions will be raised about the decision to let Darnold depart. All eyes will be on No. 9 over the next month and beyond.
2. OLB Dallas Turner
3. S Josh Metellus
4. CB Isaiah Rodgers
5. DT Javon Hargrave
6. RB Jordan Mason
7. S Theo Jackson
8. QB Sam Howell
9. LG Donovan Jackson
10. CB Mekhi Blackmon
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy has a 1-year audition before Minnesota could turn to free agent QBs
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell explains in his new piece that the Vikings have a lot of ways to move on from McCarthy after this season if he doesn’t perform well enough.
“If McCarthy disappoints, would the Vikings be more aggressive in bringing in a veteran to compete with the 22-year-old in 2026?” Barnwell wonders. “(Daniel) Jones will be a free agent, and (Sam) Darnold’s three-year deal with the Seahawks is essentially a one-year pact for $39 million. Kirk Cousins, who played well in O’Connell’s offense before tearing his right Achilles midway through the 2023 season, will likely be a free agent after eventually parting ways with the Falcons. McCarthy would still be the favorite to start versus those experienced passers, but he might have more riding on his debut season than other unproven signal-callers across the league.”
Blake Cashman Talks Vikings Depth, Importance Of Veteran Leadership & Building Chemistry On Defense
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