J. J. McCarthy had a pretty ok season, having to step up in a crucial period for the Minnesota Vikings. The franchise posted a 9-8 record in the regular season, and missed the playoffs as a result.
McCarthy was first drafted in the 2024 season, which he entirely missed due to injury. He made his debut in the 2025 season, but could not inspire his team on the field. Now, it looks like he will be sidelined once again.
Louis Riddick says J. J. McCarthy is done
McCarthy was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the Michigan Wolverines, but missed his rookie season due to a preseason knee injury. He made his debut this season, though he only played in 10 games. He had a 57.6% completion rate for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns. In the games he played, the Vikings had a 6-4 record. Without him, they had a 3-4 record.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J. J. McCarthy
Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J. J. McCarthy (9) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
Recently, ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick gave a scathing review of McCarthy, amid Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s recent comments about the player. When asked about the quarterback, O’Connell said, “A lot of those feelings are still the same. It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was in 2024.”
The Vikings are also in talks to sign veteran quarterback Kyler Murray, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Riddick said that O’Connell’s comments were a signal that they were moving on from McCarthy, with Murray also expected to arrive soon. He said, “It makes sense if you’re closing the door on J.J. McCarthy.”
He also added that Murray will not be a backup and will sideline the younger McCarthy, “So for him to go to Minnesota, what Kevin O’Connell is telling you is that J.J. McCarthy’s days, really, in Minnesota, to me, are over.” Many fans did not like Riddick’s comments about McCarthy and felt he was wrong in his analysis.
Fans attack Louis Riddick and Kevin O’Connell over J. J. McCarthy comments
Multiple Vikings fans blasted Riddick and O’Connell on social media, and believe that McCarthy deserves more time, rather than be judged on one season.
One user said, ““Organizations fail young quarterbacks more then young quarterbacks fail organizations “. Kevin O’Connell”.
A second user wrote, “lot of people are going to look really silly when JJ is the starter next year”.
A third user replied, “ESPN is almost hard to watch some days. So ridiculous”.
Another added, “Awful to go from JJ who hasn’t had a chance to succeed to a loser who has no chance.”
A fifth remarked, “Then KO is a bad coach and a bad leader, Louis.”
A sixth user commented, “So Murray, who would rather play video games than football is not a maturity problem but JJ is??? Typical garbage @espn pushing their woke agenda”.
It remains to be seen what will be the fate of J. J. McCarthy ahead of next season.