Two years into his NFL career, it’s not precisely appeared promising for Michigan hero J.J. McCarthy.
The 2023 nationwide championship-winning quarterback was handed the keys to the Minnesota Vikings, who chosen him with the tenth total choose of the 2024 NFL Draft, but it surely’s been a extremely turbulent two years since. McCarthy missed his rookie season as a result of a meniscus tear, after which he struggled mightily in 2025 after incomes the beginning gig, even incomes the mockery of followers for his proclamation that he had a Bruce Banner/Hulk-esque dynamic with a model of himself he deemed “Nine.”
That mentioned, two years will not be a significantly lengthy span of time. Especially not for NFL quarterbacks, given we’ve seen Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold all shed the “bust” tag and turn out to be high-end NFL starters in the previous few years with different franchises. With that in thoughts, I believe there may be a comparable pathway ahead for McCarthy, as a result of I don’t suppose his finest skilled soccer can be performed within the Twin Cities.
Pre-draft, there was appreciable buzz surrounding Minnesota because the “ideal” touchdown spot for McCarthy. And it’s not laborious to see why. The Vikings had been two years faraway from a 13-win season, boasted a stellar receiving corps anchored by Justin Jefferson in his prime, a number of playmakers on protection and famous offensive guru Kevin O’Connell on the helm. On paper, the whole lot McCarthy ought to’ve wanted to succeed was already in place.
But I believe the state of affairs in Minnesota was a little bit extra difficult, and it revolves round timing. In 2024, when the Vikings already had their roster assembled, the expectation was the franchise had entered “win now” mode, that they had been a high quarterback away from elevating the Lombardi and that McCarthy had been drafted to develop into that quarterback.
The contradiction, nonetheless, was McCarthy was by no means touted as essentially the most pro-ready quarterback within the class. The discourse surrounding him in the course of the draft cycle was persistently alongside the traces of him being a venture who was going to want a few years to develop. So why was he anticipated to be the franchise’s messiah, then?
In any occasion, I don’t suppose McCarthy and the Vikings’ timelines are going to sync up at this level. Minnesota’s roster is getting older they usually’ve introduced in Kyler Murray as a bid at getting essentially the most of a fearsome protection and a still-young Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Christian Darrisaw on offense. O’Connell is getting into his fifth 12 months as head coach with out a playoff win to his identify, and there’s a rising feeling he’ll be teaching for his job if that continues. The resolution, then, for each McCarthy and Minnesota, is an amicable divorce.
From there, I believe the following step for McCarthy can be to go someplace he gained’t begin straight away. Sitting him for his rookie season was doubtless all the time going to be the transfer regardless of his health — it’s a formulation that labored for Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love. But rehabbing from a meniscus tear modified the character of his “year zero” in a method that didn’t profit him; moderately than engaged on issues like footwork, poise and the opposite bodily points of quarterbacking, he was relegated largely to conferences and watching tape.
Those issues are actually vital, however they’re imperfect substitutes for the bodily improvement he ought to have gotten a probability at as a substitute. As such, I believe a second “year zero” the place he has a probability to sit down and truly be taught from a veteran with out being plagued with well being is the reset he wants.
Then there’s the query of what a scheme change would do to deliver out the perfect of him. The Vikings below O’Connell run a West Coast-style offense, and I don’t suppose that was ever an setting McCarthy would thrive in instantly. He actually has an NFL-caliber arm, however he struggles with ball placement and contact; I’ve famous his persistent dangerous behavior of placing an excessive amount of power on his throws. His pocket presence and imaginative and prescient additionally want work. I believe for the time being, the perfect state of affairs for him to be in is a play-action-heavy, run-first offense much like what he operated in with the Wolverines. At the NFL stage, McCarthy’s finest trait has been his mobility and skill to scramble, and an offense that turns his legs into a weapon with out counting on him to closely go the ball briefly vary could allow his improvement.
As for the place particularly this leaves him, there are a couple of intriguing matches. The Atlanta Falcons are at the moment enmeshed in a rebuild that’s seemingly been happening since I used to be in center college, however given the volatility of their quarterback state of affairs, I could see them throwing a draft choose on the Vikings for McCarthy and letting him backup Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa for a 12 months, then passing the reins of a Bijan Robinson-powered offense to him in 2027. Another choice is the Indianapolis Colts, the place McCarthy could take over from Daniel Jones in the event that they determine that experiment has run its course by the top of the 12 months.
The massive caveat to all of that is on McCarthy’s well being. He entered the NFL with a comparatively lanky body for a quarterback, however thus far, his damage issues have been worse than even detractors assumed firstly of his career. Last 12 months, he missed enjoying time to a few separate accidents, which hampered his potential to develop any type of rhythm. To me, McCarthy’s damage points are the largest crimson flag in his participant profile. Unfortunately, given my distinct lack of a medical diploma, they’re additionally the one I’m least certified to evaluate.
In abstract, I believe the jury continues to be out on whether or not McCarthy goes to be a good NFL quarterback. The first two years have been ugly, however I believe the Vikings had been the improper match for him each in phrases of timeline and scheme. But I believe a commerce to someplace he’s not below stress to be a franchise savior and might play a fashion of soccer higher suited to his strengths and weaknesses could doubtlessly assist him salvage his career and turn out to be the franchise quarterback that Michigan followers imagine he might be.