BroBible
If Minnesota Vikings fans were hoping that second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy would step in and seamlessly replace Sam Darnold, it might be time to temper expectations. Especially after Thursday’s comments from star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, battled Darnold for the starting job in training camp last season before suffering a torn meniscus in the team’s first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. McCarthy then sat out the entire season after surgery to repair the tear, while Darnold broke out, finishing third in the Comeback Player of the Year voting.
While there was talk of the Vikings signing Darnold long term, he eventually left for the Seattle Seahawks, while Minnesota turned its attention to McCarthy.
But Jefferson now says that fans and media should temper their expectations for his team’s new starting quarterback.
McCarthy has a year in the league under his belt. But much of that year was spent rehabbing, and the entirety of it was spent on the sidelines. Which is why Jefferson believes that it’s only fair to treat him as if he were a rookie.
#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson says you “have to have that patience” with JJ McCarthy:
“He’s pretty much a rookie… you’re not really expecting him to have the same mindset as a veteran. You can’t really have that expectation from him.”pic.twitter.com/fiIi3GHsP9
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) July 25, 2025
“You definitely have to have patience,” Jefferson said about McCarthy. “He’s pretty much a rookie. Last year pretty much doesn’t count for him. He’s still new to the scheme, new to coming out here and throwing it to these different receivers.
“You’re not really expecting him to have the same mindset as a veteran. You can’t really have that expectation from him, but we do have an expectation of him being great, him coming out here every single day and working his butt off and progressing every single day. And we do see that progression just on that second day of camp.”
McCarthy was already a fairly polarizing prospect before he entered the NFL. Yes, he helped lead Michigan to its first national championship since 1997. But the Wolverines’ success was largely predicated on their impressive defense and running game.
Many people wondered if McCarthy could excel when asked to be more than a game manager. Now, after Jefferson’s comments, fans are yet again raising questions about his abilities.
“They are about to take a back step when all they had to do was sign Darnold and give their rookie time,” one fan wrote.
“Just setting up for when McCarthy sucks and they’ll preach patience again,” said another.
In fact, there were dozens of comments stating that Jefferson was not-so-subtly saying that McCarthy isn’t very good.
Ultimately, we’ll find out once the Vikings hit the field in the coming...
