Despite just 19 preseason snaps, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy might be one of the best-equipped signal-callers from the 2024 draft class.
That’s despite playing the least out of all of the top quarterbacks taken, including Spencer Rattler of the New Orleans Saints. McCarthy missed the 2024 season due to surgery for a meniscus tear, but his task of replacing Sam Darnold as the starter after a 14-3 is quite doable, as ESPN’s Ben Solak recently explained.
“We know that although there’s no such thing as a QB-proof offense, the Vikings are about as close as it gets,” Solak wrote. “Their pair of easy separating receivers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are known for their route running and quickness, but it’s their ball tracking and catch radius that really make them QB-friendly — they erase inaccuracy, especially down the field.”
Jefferson had 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, amid a 14.9 yards per reception average. Addison caught 63 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns amid a 13.9 yards per catch mark.
The Vikings also have wideout Jalen Nailor, who averaged 14.8 yards per catch amid 28 receptions for 414 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end T.J. Hockenson likewise provides a steady target, and he had 41 catches for 455 yards in 10 games last year.
Vikings running back Aaron Jones returning likewise provides support out of the backfield for McCarthy. Jones had 1,138 yards and five touchdowns on 255 carries last season.
Minnesota also added running back Jordan Mason via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers in March. Mason stepped up for the Niners last season with 789 yards and three touchdowns in the absence of former MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey.
Robert Scheer/IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Outside of skill players, McCarthy has the benefit of a team that excels before the ball is snapped, as Solak noted. The Vikings maintained continuity on the offensive line for the most part, and that will only help.
“The Vikings were one of the heaviest pre-snap motion teams last season, as well as one of the heaviest play-action teams, and coach Kevin O’Connell pulls both levers to create easy reads for his quarterback,” Solak wrote. “Minnesota’s retooling of its interior offensive line [drafted Donovan Jackson, signed Will Fries and Ryan Kelly] should lead to an improvement in the running game as well, shortening third-down distances and reducing the number of dropbacks for McCarthy as he ramps up to NFL speed.”
Playing at game speed is the million-dollar question for McCarthy as he comes back from a major injury. McCarthy hasn’t played a full season since his senior year at Michigan in 2023.
“It’s important to see how McCarthy looks, especially on the move after his major knee injury,” Solak wrote. “But as long as he’s athletically back, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.”
McCarthy’s sample size in 2024 was quite small before the meniscus tear sidelined him. His preseason play against the Las Vegas Raiders last year gave only a few glimpses of what could be.
“On those plays, McCarthy threw a nice backside dig to Jalen Nailor, took a big shot to buy time for Trishton Jackson on a crosser, threw off-platform into a pick and lofted a beautiful deep ball into a bucket for a touchdown. I remain wholly unconvinced there’s anything meaningful in these dropbacks against the Raiders’ backups last August, but it’s all I’ve had to watch.”
It’s also not a shoo-in that McCarthy just walks on the field in Week 1 and is 100%. McCarthy showed promise during organized team activities, but even that is a far cry from a scrimmage, let alone a preseason game.
“We know McCarthy tore a meniscus, which can be a tricky recovery — he needed a second procedure in November to address swelling from his first surgery,” Solak wrote. “We also know the Vikings poked around the veteran quarterback market this offseason, though their need for a QB2 justifies that search more than any lack of faith in McCarthy as QB1.”
Minnesota brought in Sam Howell as the backup, and he has 18 career starts in three seasons. Behind Howell, the Vikings also have Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer.
“And we also know they had no real interest in extending Sam Darnold at market price, which further implies they like McCarthy. Then again, we know they traded up to take him with the No. 10 pick, so we didn’t really need much proof that they liked him,” Solak wrote.
