The Minnesota Vikings enter this season with a huge question mark on their hands.
They didn’t keep or sign any veteran quarterback to be an insurance policy, and they’ve gone all-in with J.J. McCarthy.
That makes sense, since they took him with a top-ten selection last season.
However, he missed his entire rookie year with a knee injury, and he didn’t have that much experience in college, either.
That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to hear rumblings about him still being a little raw.
Then again, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports that the Vikings firmly believe he will be ready to take the field by Week 1 (via NFL on ESPN):
“Is [J.J. McCarthy] ready to start right now? Probably not. Can he be the first weekend in September? The Vikings believe that he can,” he said.
"Is [J.J. McCarthy] ready to start right now? Probably not. Can he be the first weekend in September? The Vikings believe that he can."@DanGrazianoESPN talks about J.J. McCarthy's development with the Vikings ✍️ pic.twitter.com/5IbHid9DGi
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 23, 2025
The Vikings could’ve and should’ve gone the extra mile to keep Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones around.
They also reportedly held internal talks about potentially making a run at Aaron Rodgers, who allegedly wanted to play for Kevin O’Connell’s team.
That speaks volumes about the level of commitment and belief the Vikings have in the Michigan product, who’s reportedly turned heads with his leadership and work ethic.
There will always be risks associated with first-year quarterbacks, much more with those who sustained big injuries earlier in their careers.
But at the end of the day, the Vikings have a stacked roster and one of the best coaching situations in the league.
There will be growing pains, and perhaps expecting 14 wins in 2025 won’t be realistic, but if they truly believe that McCarthy is their guy, they must give him the keys to the car.
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