When the Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan Wolverines’ fullback Max Bredeson in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, the immediate conversation centered on replacing a decade-long franchise cornerstone in fullback C.J. Ham, who retired this offseason. But there’s a secondary storyline that may prove just as meaningful for their long-term outlook.
J.J. McCarthy is going into his third season in the NFL, but only his second as a healthy player. He has not had the success in the NFL that he had in college
up to this point, with his career hampered by injuries and inconsistent overall play. Last season, he completed 57.6 percent of his throws, going for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
He is entering a pivotal third year in the league, one that will determine if the Vikings pick up his fifth-year option next offseason. Minnesota brought in former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray to compete with McCarthy for the starting job. The battle will be tight, and whoever does not prevail could be on their way out of the city.
McCarthy is going to need everything to go his way to win the job, and while time will tell if it means anything, it helps that the front office brought in one of his closest friends and security blankets to be more comfortable running the offense.
Bredeson was a lynchpin for the Wolverines’ offense the last few seasons, and Minnesota saw enough of that to warrant using a draft pick on him and not risking having to compete with other teams to sign him as an undrafted free agent.
He made the lead block in the Rose Bowl against Alabama to allow running back Blake Corum to score the game-winning touchdown, and he was instrumental in leading the way for Kalel Mullings to get a much-needed first down at Ohio State in 2024. He also protected McCarthy time and time again as the Wolverines went to three straight College Football Playoffs.
“This was a guy that was given almost no opportunity,” Vikings Director of College Scouting Mike Sholiton said of the beginning of Bredeson’s collegiate career. “He was given one semester by his family to make it or he was going to have to choose something else to do, become a Navy Seal. And he bet on himself and became so valuable that Michigan felt that they had to bring him back for his extra year, senior year. To be able to have a role and star in your role, I think that’s going to be important for all four of these day three picks.
“… It’s that type of competitive spirit that makes you believe in him.”
It’s a challenging situation for a young quarterback still finding his footing, but having a dependable and reliable friend like Bredeson matters in so many ways. Familiarity breeds confidence, and for a quarterback who has faced scrutiny and setbacks, having a trusted voice and familiar presence in the locker room is genuinely valuable. McCarthy knows how Bredeson works, how he communicates and what he demands of himself. That shared standard, the kind Bredeson built over years of proving doubters wrong, can be contagious.
McCarthy was even physically present at Bredeson’s draft party, which speaks to the depth of their friendship. For a team that can go in multiple directions depending on who is leading them at quarterback, that pre-existing relationship is an asset that Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell can scheme around.
“We came (to Michigan) in the same recruiting class,” Bredeson said of McCarthy. “It’s actually crazy, we threw with the same quarterback coach in high school. He turned out to be a better quarterback than I am, unfortunately. But I have known him for a while. Best friends through playing at Michigan, the great wins we got to have together. Just grew close to (him) through all that.
“…For him to be here is definitely special. It’s really cool that it timed up like that.”
The road ahead for McCarthy is uncertain, given Murray’s experience and the Vikings’ win-now mentality. If McCarthy is going to recapture the form that made him a first-round pick, having a teammate like Bredeson around to keep his mentality on the right track definitely won’t hurt.
