J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
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J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before a game against the New England Patriots.
Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has already made it further with the Minnesota Vikings this season than he did as a rookie. And on “Monday Night Football,” the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft will square off against someone who knows him well and offered sage words.
Before he became the Vikings’ quarterback of the future, McCarthy was a national championship-winning QB for the Michigan Wolverines.
It was there that he and tight end Colston Loveland made their mark in history.
Colston Loveland: Bears’ Pass Rush Ready to ‘Get After’ Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on after facing the New England Patriots.
One of the youngest passers in his class, McCarthy led UM to its first title since 1997, and he did so with the aid of Loveland, who had a career-best 649 yards with 4 touchdowns on 45 receptions as a sophomore that season.
Loveland, notably, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2025 draft, now plays for the Chicago Bears, McCarthy and the Vikings’ opponent on Monday night.
He offered potentially telling comments about (and informative for) McCarthy and the Vikings.
“I feel like he’s a good quarterback,” Loveland told Clocker Sports in comments published on September 6. “Runs the system well. Hits what he’s supposed to hit. Doesn’t do too much, doesn’t do too [little]. But I know our defense got a good game plan for him, and we’re going to go get after him.”
With so little information around McCarthy heading into this contest. The Bears have made it a point to emphasize their focus on the Vikings’ offensive scheme rather than the QB himself. Still, Loveland’s take is encouraging for Vikings fans about McCarthy.
It could also prove ominous for the young passer as he steps from the frying pan of the preseason into the fire of his first NFL regular season on the field.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is an aggressive play-caller in his own right.
“You have to prepare for unscouted looks. We’re going to see something that we haven’t seen yet. And so, we really got to be able to prepare for the system. And then, we’ve got to be ready to adjust,” Allen told reporters on September 5. “With J.J., we obviously studied him coming out. We got a chance to see him in a couple of preseason games. And yet, we don’t have a lot of film on him. So, we’ll have to be ready to adjust and see how they’re trying to call the game.”
JJ McCarthy Facing Revamped Bears
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a game against the Houston Texans.
McCarthy and the Vikings face a revamped Bears defensive front, which serves as a potential flashpoint matchup between the two sides. The Bears were a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of pass rush last season, recording 40 sacks on the year as a team.
They added defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who spent the last 3 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.
They also still have promising DT Gervon Dexter Sr. and veteran EDGE Montez Sweat.
On paper. The group is formidable and could pose a significant threat to McCarthy and the Vikings’ chances of getting off to a strong and fast start in 2025. But McCarthy had something else working in his favor.
The Vikings planned for situations such as this and are built to battle the Bears.
Vikings Built to Battle Bears
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before facing the Houston Texans.
The Vikings spent heavily this offseason, remaking their interior offensive line, with the clear idea that the inexperienced McCarthy could be stepping in under center.
They took it a step further. Acquiring former San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason in a trade and adding him to a room that also features former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowler Aaron Jones.
The Bears notably have had issues with running backs, both carrying the ball and catching passes out of the backfield. Conversely. The Vikings boast a stout run defense, which could force the Bears to be one-dimensional.
Their secondary faces some question marks amid injury concerns to Harrison Smith and a remade cornerback room.
Still, McCarthy is as well-positioned as anyone to keep a game close until late.
At that point, McCarthy will just have to make something happen when it matters most, just as he did alongside Loveland while they were at Michigan en route to a Championship in the Vikings QB’s final collegiate season.