EAGAN, Minn. — It is nearly time for the debut of J.J. McCarthy: Take 2.
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback received a fast two-game style of the NFL this season earlier than a excessive proper ankle sprain sidelined him for 5 video games. Whereas he was out, a debate raged: Had he been too inexperienced to open the season because the Vikings’ starter? Ought to they’ve re-signed 2024 starter Sam Darnold or late-2024 addition Daniel Jones, or maybe inked free agent Aaron Rodgers?
In spite of everything, McCarthy had produced one magical quarter — accounting for 3 touchdowns in a Week 1 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears — and 7 shaky quarters in his two-game stint. By the top of it, his 20.3 QBR ranked No. 32 of 33 certified quarterbacks within the NFL.
The workforce appeared to specific its personal doubt, albeit not directly, by making clear he wouldn’t return till he was totally wholesome. In essence, coach Kevin O’Connell determined McCarthy wasn’t outfitted to compensate for the damage whereas additionally making an attempt to develop in actual time.
McCarthy missed three weeks of apply, started to ramp up through the Vikings’ bye after which spent two weeks in purgatory as their emergency No. 3 quarterback — cleared by medical doctors however not but prepared to present the workforce its finest likelihood to win. That project fell to backup Carson Wentz, who performed his closing 2 1/2 video games with a left shoulder damage that may require season-ending surgical procedure.
With Wentz on injured reserve, McCarthy will get an opportunity to deal with these debates on the sphere. This week, he referred to as the chance “a little bit little bit of a reset, however simply coming from a distinct perspective.”
Listed below are 5 knowledge factors that may form his progress — or lack thereof — starting with Sunday’s sport on the Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
Staying on the sphere
At this level, the one most vital think about McCarthy’s growth is getting reps, each in apply and video games. The ankle damage, together with a torn meniscus in his proper knee which value him his total rookie season, have value him 23 of a attainable 25 video games, together with postseason. Extremely, he has participated in solely two full weeks of regular-season apply for the reason that Vikings made him the No. 10 choose within the 2024 draft.
McCarthy has 41 passes and 95 offensive snaps on his NFL résumé. The opposite 5 quarterbacks chosen within the first spherical of the 2024 draft have every thrown a minimum of 300 passes, and their collective common is 625. Spencer Rattler, chosen by the New Orleans Saints within the fifth spherical, has thrown 484 instances. Because the begin of 2024, 62 NFL quarterbacks have thrown extra passes than McCarthy.
To be truthful, McCarthy — at 22 years and 9 months — is youthful than all however a kind of 62 quarterbacks. The New York Giants’ Jaxson Dart is 22 and 5 months.
McCarthy’s clock has solely begun to tick. Though it is nearly too apparent to say, it bears repeating: He has to play — loads — to get the place the Vikings hope he can go.
Taking fewer hits
McCarthy will enhance his probabilities of staying on the sphere if he can scale back contact with opposing defenders.
Each of his accidents, in Week 2 towards the Atlanta Falcons and through the 2024 preseason towards the Las Vegas Raiders, got here when he left the pocket on a scramble. The Vikings do not wish to discourage him from utilizing a key a part of his ability set, however there are many methods — sliding, most notably — to restrict being hit.
McCarthy took 9 sacks in 75 dropbacks throughout his first two begins, a 16.7% sack price that’s greater than all however one quarterback who has taken a minimum of 10 dropbacks this season (Carolina’s Andy Dalton, 17.4%). To be truthful, he performed each video games with out left deal with Christian Darrisaw, who was within the closing levels of restoration from a left knee damage.
General, although, McCarthy absorbed a contact price of 32.3%, fourth highest within the league. Taking these ranges of hits is not a recipe for longevity.
A favourite for positive.
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— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 13, 2025
Eliminating the ball
One other manner of avoiding hits within the pocket is to throw the ball extra shortly.
In his first two begins, McCarthy averaged 3.15 seconds earlier than throwing, which is longer than all however two quarterbacks who’ve tried a move this season. He was not essentially guilty in each occasion, and it needs to be famous that he performed each video games with out No. 2 huge receiver Jordan Addison, who was serving a three-game NFL suspension, after growing clear chemistry with McCarthy throughout apply.
However in the identical offense, Wentz averaged 2.71 seconds earlier than throwing. McCarthy himself seen the distinction.
“[McCarthy’s] made a number of feedback to me simply all through the rehab,” O’Connell mentioned, “about with the ability to watch Carson play the place, play it as a brand new participant in our offense and see methods he was capable of distribute soccer, get the ball out of his fingers, completions and the constructive impact that had on the offense in each capability.”
Accuracy
McCarthy mentioned in coaching camp that he considers himself “one of the correct guys on the market,” however that was not instantly evident this summer time or throughout his two regular-season video games. His 58.5 completion share is the ninth lowest of 58 quarterbacks who’ve thrown a move this season.
He wasn’t accountable for each incompletion. In reality, ESPN Analysis docked Vikings receivers for 3 drops in his 41 makes an attempt. That is a price of seven.3%, third highest amongst any quarterback who has thrown a move this season.
However McCarthy’s price of off-target passes — overthrown or underthrown, not together with apparent throwaways or spikes — is 14.6%. That ranks No. 22 within the NFL.
Vikings coaches imagine the difficulty is essentially one in all footwork and different fundamentals, and O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown put McCarthy by a sequence of exercises through the bye designed to re-establish the timing and rhythm of his drops and progressions.
Vitality
From the second he was drafted, McCarthy’s single most blatant attribute is his vitality. Receiver Justin Jefferson has referred to it as a “canine mentality,” a contagious character trait that demonstrates his competitiveness and relentless positivity. Greg Holcomb, his longtime non-public coach, mentioned this summer time of McCarthy: “He is nearly, like, too pleased generally. It could actually nearly look obnoxious.”
That vitality was most evident through the fourth quarter of the Bears sport in Week 1, and O’Connell referenced it this week, noting McCarthy had carried momentum “into the locker room, the place it was a reasonably important second for a younger participant in his first begin.”
McCarthy might want to keep that trait throughout what might be a troublesome stretch for your complete workforce. The Vikings have the NFL’s most troublesome remaining schedule, and ESPN’s Soccer Energy Index (FPI) has them favored to win yet another sport on it — Week 11 towards the Bears.
McCarthy has received 64 of 68 begins courting again to highschool, and he may match that loss complete even when the Vikings beat the chances over the subsequent three months.
None of this occurs with out 9️⃣@jjmccarthy09 pic.twitter.com/67sPd0b9r8
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 9, 2025