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The Minnesota Vikings have made no secret that they are all-in on quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and the franchise took another step toward that end Thursday.
Minnesota announced its team captains on August 28, dubbing the second-year signal-caller among the group of eight.
“Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has announced the 2025 #Vikings team captains: QB J.J. McCarthy, WR Justin Jefferson, S Harrison Smith, RB Aaron Jones Sr., LS Andrew DePaola, S Josh Metellus, OLB Jonathan Greenard, T Brian O’Neill,” the team announced via its official X account.
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell has announced the 2025 #Vikings team captains
QB J.J. McCarthyWR Justin JeffersonS Harrison SmithRB Aaron Jones Sr.LS Andrew DePaolaS Josh MetellusOLB Jonathan GreenardT Brian O'Neill pic.twitter.com/T6zylOALFc
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 28, 2025
It isn’t particularly surprising for a quarterback to be a team captain with any NFL franchise. In fact, it’s often considerably more of a head-turner if that player isn’t, as it potentially speaks to some kind of character and/or locker room issue.
However, in McCarthy’s case his captainship is notable because as a second-year player who has never taken a regular-season snap due to a knee injury in August 2024, he is essentially a rookie in many ways.
Last year’s team firmly belonged to QB Sam Darnold, and while McCarthy was a presence, he was busy with multiple surgeries and rehabilitation and other activities that kept him away from his teammates for meaningful portions of the year.
That has changed in 2025, as Vikings brass made it clear early on that the 22-year-old McCarthy was going to be the starter. There was some question as to whether that would be the case for a week-long period of time this offseason, during which the team contemplated the addition of Aaron Rodgers to the roster.
Once Minnesota closed the door on that possibility, however, it’s been McCarthy the entire way.
Vikings Playing Long Game With J.J. McCarthy as Starting QB, Captain in 2025
J.J. McCarthy
GettyVikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Vikings selected McCarthy out of the University of Michigan with the No. 10 overall pick in April of 2024, relatively fresh off winning a national title with the Wolverines.
But because of his injury, when McCarthy takes Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears as part of the initial “Monday Night Football” broadcast of this season on September 8, it will be the first time he’s played in a football game with any real stakes since January 8, 2024 — exactly 20 months to the day from his last snap that counted.
Given that, and McCarthy’s age, he is unquestionably going to deal with some struggles and growing pains. But despite the Vikings fielding what is arguably a Super Bowl-caliber roster (when healthy) around McCarthy, the team’s move to start him and lean on him now is essentially a three- or four-year play.
Vikings Positioned to Build Around QB Over Next Few Seasons
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
McCarthy is about to embark on the second season of a four-year, $22 million rookie contract. Minnesota will hold a club option for a fifth year in 2028, which it will choose whether to exercise following the 2026 campaign.
The league has yet to determine the financial figure on that fifth year, as it is subject to factors such as playing time and awards/honors won, etc. But whatever the number is, it will be significantly less than what the top players at the position are earning at that point.
For reference, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys is currently the NFL’s highest-paid QB/player at $60 million annually, though the top salary in the game is likely to be more than that two years from now.
The idea from Minnesota’s perspective isn’t unique, though it is a proven strategy for winning at the highest levels. Essentially, if a team can get good to great play from the QB position at a bargain price, like those that rookie contracts represent, it can spend around that player to build out a higher-quality roster at important positions like wide receiver, offensive tackle and edge rusher.
The difference is the Vikings are making a bigger bet than other teams because they essentially lost a season of evaluation and development when McCarthy tore up his knee a little more than one year ago.
But the franchise’s choice to make McCarthy a team captain despite his lack of experience is a good sign that the decision-makers believe he has the mentality and work ethic to develop into the kind of quarterback who can put Minnesota in real contention over the next few years — even if that isn’t quite the reality in 2025.