Daily Norseman
The third installment of the series in which I write about reasons that I am grateful to be a Minnesota Vikings fan going into the 2025 season. If we live with a gratitude mindset, we will be rewarded with things worth being grateful for.
At the end of the day, all NFL players have one thing in common: they’re humans. Don’t get me wrong, most, if not all of them are freakishly athletic, but humans, nonetheless. They are all at different parts of the lives, their careers, and their spiritual journeys. Veterans and leaders don’t earn their titles overnight. Those are earned through time and by gaining the respect of their teammates, coaches, and owners.
Justin Jefferson is a veteran leader. Entering his 6th year in the league, which could be the peak season of his career (hopefully it continues for the next 10 plus seasons), Justin Jefferson has clearly taken a mentorship role to aid in J.J. McCarthy’s development.
A few weeks removed from attending a Timberwolves playoff game, there is definitely chemistry building between Jonathan James McCarthy and his #1 wide receiver, Justin Jefferson. Introducing an adult man to Mike and Ike's candy is like showing a coworker how to change to dark screen mode on Teams. It’s an instant chemistry booster and this time of the year is for building camaraderie in addition to learning about the system and teammates. Although there is uncertainty of how McCarthy will perform this season, and despite some media pundit saying the Vikings are "concerned" about J.J., there is one thing for certain: our second-year franchise quarterback and future hall of famer has the support of his teammates and coaching staff.
We can talk about stats, metrics, and historical data until we are blue in the face. As someone who is in my favorite part of the fantasy football season (mock drafts every day), I am all about projecting player stats for 2025. However, when it comes to our Minnesota Vikings, I am less concerned with stats and mostly focused on the team itself. A great deal of the media attention appears to be about the quarterback room. What stands out to me is how McCarthy is already being lifted by his teammates. Whether it's his insane and super meaningful record-breaking OTA stats, or the fact that he is drawing comparisons to Matt Stafford and Josh Allen, by Hock and Harrison Phillips, McCarthy is a protected asset. The high praise is a result of his ability as a great teammate. You can see it in his interviews and videos of him hitting Sam Howell in the head with a football, the energy he brings to this team. He already manifested a championship in college, and he is well on his way to manifesting a super bowl.
On top of possibly having gifts of the divine, JJMC has a plethora of mentors (Jetts and Harrison Phillips come to mind) that will help elevate his play to...
