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The Minnesota Vikings got a Cinderella season from journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold last season, but now it’s time for the new era. After a preseason injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy, Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
Even after the great season, the clock struck midnight for Darnold and the Vikings with two of their worst games of the season in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions and a Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
McCarthy will be the starter heading into 2025 and will have to find his form quickly after missing the entire season with a knee injury. Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh provided some optimism for Vikings fans on Tuesday on PFT Live at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“J.J. has attacked his rehab this entire last six, seven months, and I can guarantee Vikings fans that he is up and at it already today, attacking the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” Harbaugh said. “I love him. I’m not gonna love playing against him, we play the Vikings this year.”
McCarthy and Harbaugh go way back to their days at Michigan. The young quarterback played under Harbaugh for three seasons, two as the full-time starter, and the two won a national championship together in 2023.
The adjustment to the NFL for any rookie is a difficult one, but J.J. McCarthy has all the tools to succeed in this Vikings offense even as a rookie.
Kevin O’Connell has proven to be the type of coach and play caller that can get the most out of his quarterback, and the Vikings have built an ecosystem that allows those signal callers to thrive. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL and O’Connell has become a master at getting them open.
McCarthy wasn’t asked to do a ton during his time at Michigan, but he is an accurate thrower who is comfortable working from under center and using play action. He gets the ball to where it needs to go and can also use his athleticism and playmaking ability to play out of structure when needed.
McCarthy isn’t a perfect prospect, but O’Connell should have enough tools to make things relatively easy on him. It may take him some time to get his feet wet at the pro level against the speed of NFL defenses, but the Vikings definitely have the weapons and the overall situation around him that should allow him to succeed during his first season as the starter.
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