J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
If you didn’t watch the Minnesota Vikings defeat the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Week 1 the box score probably looks lackluster. Kevin O’Connell’s team came out flat, and that included new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Fast forward to the final ticks on the clock and McCarthy had orchestrated something that would be deemed well-beyond his 22 years of existence. An award winning performance it was. An award winning performance it now shall be.
Player of the Week honors for MN Vikings McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy finished with just 143 yards passing on 13-of-20 completions. He had two touchdowns but also threw a pick-six. On the surface, those numbers are hardly notable. The performance was though, and he earned Week 1 NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for it.
NFC Players of the Week! (Week 1)@jjmccarthy09 | @_Nate_Landman | @_kam01_ | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/LvvgOWIJNg
— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2025
For the vast majority of that game it would have been asinine to suggest that McCarthy was doing anything close to noteworthy. It got worse when former Vikings cornerback Nahshon Wright just a pass to Justin Jefferson and housed it to make it a 17-6 game in the third quarter.
Stats for the NFC Offensive Player of the Week with 13:39 remaining in the 4th quarter:
7/12 for 56 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 35.4 passer rating, 1 rush for 11 yards, sacked 3 times
— Eric Thompson (@eric_j_thompson) September 10, 2025
Player of the Week honors for McCarthy aren’t just a reflection of what he did in the fourth quarter though. It’s how he accomplished it. This young kid galvanized a huddle of grown men multiple years his senior. He embodied the leadership of a grizzle veteran and got belief when it may have been waning.
Related: JJ McCarthy’s Legendary Moment in Vikings Huddle Shook Teammates, Sparked Comeback
During the final frame McCarthy was 6-of-8 for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in a 14-yard score. With the win he is the first quarterback to lead a comeback from 10-plus points in the fourth quarter during an NFL debut since Steve Young in 1985, adding in road game consideration, the feat dates back to at least 1950.
Minnesota has had 11 players named NFC Player of the Week during the first week of the season since 1984.
Stop sleeping on JJ McCarthy
The list of smart football people telling you that J.J. McCarthy is special remains long. The list of people telling you that McCarthy is questionable still remains longer. It would behoove anyone to be on the right side of this discussion.
After being named NFC Player of the Week, McCarthy saw the official NFL “X” (formerly Twitter) account prop him up as well. If it isn’t loud enough to hear just how good this kid can be yet, then you’re intentionally not listening.
Related: QB Expert Would Take JJ McCarthy Over Everyone
The Vikings host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football in their Week 2 matchup. It will be an opportunity to see McCarthy square off against Michael Penix Jr. yet again. The last time they went against each other, McCarthy’s Wolverines won a National Championship over Penix’s Huskies.
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