Daily Norseman
The Vikings have set him up for success, but can he deliver in his first season as the starter?
The Minnesota Vikings have set the stage for J.J. McCarthy to be their starting quarterback this season and have built a supporting cast that any quarterback would love to have. But even with those advantages, the first season starting for a young quarterback can be a bumpy road filled with both promise and disappointment. Even future Hall of Famers paid their dues in climbing a steep learning curve and getting acclimated to a league much different from the college game. And even some of the better performers in their first season as a starter failed to be much more than average when compared to the rest of the NFL starting quarterbacks.
So with all that in mind, what should we expect as J.J. McCarthy prepares to be the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season?
While the Vikings entertained some options during free agency that may have resulted in competition for the QB1 role, nothing ever materialized or was even very close to materializing, from various reports on discussions the Vikings had with Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, and perhaps a couple others. The Vikings are still looking for a QB2, but at this point there is nobody out there that is likely to challenge McCarthy for the QB1 spot.
Most quarterbacks that start early in their careers are first round draft picks- often top of the first round- and are expected to start as a rookie. There have been several exceptions like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, but for the most part quarterbacks drafted in the first round started as rookies. But whether as a rookie or later on, young quarterbacks in their first season faced a steep learning curve and often poor circumstances in terms of coaching and supporting cast.
Luckily for J.J. McCarthy, he will avoid some of the pitfalls young quarterbacks face in their first season as a starter as his team made the playoffs last season and is coming off a 14-3 record. He will begin with one of the best supporting casts any quarterback has had since Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and Lamar Jackson in 2019. Both of those second-year quarterbacks won the league MVP award in those years, despite having limited starts prior to those seasons (Mahomes has just one start his rookie year and Jackson had seven).
Be that as it may, I thought it would be more appropriate for comparison purposes to look only at quarterbacks in their first full season as a starter (whether rookie year or later) who began in a “good situation” when it comes to supporting cast and coaching.
The chart above includes 27 quarterbacks who were drafted into “good” situations, although that is always a bit subjective. You can quibble about who is included or left out, but a few...
