Who is J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings' presumed 2025 starting quarterback? Here's what to know.
MINNEAPOLIS — All signs point to the J.J. McCarthy era starting in Minnesota this season.
The Vikings' top 2024 draft pick has a clear path to the starting quarterback job after last season's starter, Sam Darnold, reportedly agreed to terms on a new contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with an injury, so for fans who need a refresher on the young QB, everything you need to know is below.
Where did McCarthy play in college?
McCarthy played for the Michigan Wolverines for three seasons, starting in 28 of 40 games. During the 2023 season, he started in all 15 games and won the national championship.
During that season he recorded 2,991 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns.
Some of his accomplishments include setting Michigan program records, including lowest career interception percentage (1.54%), career completion percentage (67.6%) and single-season completion percentage (72.3%).
He was also named the Big Ten Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year for 2023.
McCarthy went 27-1 under center the past two seasons.
What did the NFL scouting profile say about McCarthy?
His NFL.com scouting profile notes a lot of intangibles — "He is confident and seems to have the ability to take slights and digest it as competitive fuel" — but does highlight concerns about his physical ability.
"McCarthy should continue to improve as a passer, but he fails to stand out in many of the areas that tend to be predictive of top-level success in the NFL," the profile reads.
According to the profile, some of McCarthy's strengths include playing with a chip on his shoulder, having plenty of experience in a pro-style passing scheme under center and his toughness. His weaknesses include sluggishness getting through progressions, average escapability as a runner when scrambling and a tendency to throw behind moving targets.
Where did the Vikings draft McCarthy?
The Vikings took McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 draft, trading up one spot from their original slot. It's the highest the team has ever drafted a quarterback — in 1999, Minnesota took Daunte Culpepper with the 11th pick.
Has McCarthy played for the Vikings at all?
McCarthy appeared in one preseason game for the Vikings in 2024. He threw an interception on his first drive against the Las Vegas Raiders, but rebounded nicely, finishing 11/17 for 188 yards and two touchdowns to offset the pick. He also rushed twice for 18 yards in that game.
Why didn't McCarthy play in 2024?
The Vikings signed Darnold in free agency and publicly stated their plans to keep McCarthy on the bench for at least a year to develop. Their plans were made moot when McCarthy tore his meniscus in his first preseason game, landing him on injured reserve for his entire rookie season.
How is McCarthy's recovery going?
In an interview on "The Rich Eisen Show" in February, McCarthy said it was "very fair" to say he's ahead of schedule in his recovery.
"Couldn't be in a better spot, honestly," McCarthy said. "Mentally, physically, spiritually."
Head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said much of the same ahead of the NFL Combine.
"J.J.'s doing really well from a standpoint of where he's progressed to in his rehab," O'Connell said, noting that the QB should be ready for the team's offseason program in April.
"He's conversational in our language, in our offensive language, understanding the why, the intent behind things," Adofo-Mensah said. "You want him to be able to go out there and play free and let his talent take over."
The GM added that McCarthy has "been everything we want him to be and we're excited about the future."
What does the offense around McCarthy look like?
Any discussion of the Vikings' offense starts with Justin Jefferson, arguably the league's best wide receiver. Jefferson has been reliably great every year of his career, no matter who's throwing the ball. He earned a first-team All-Pro nod last season — the second of his career — catching 103 passes for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns.
McCarthy will also have one of the league's best No. 2 receivers, Jordan Addison. Addison had 875 yards and nine touchdowns last season, on par with his rookie season totals (911 yards, 10 touchdowns). The third option in the passing game, tight end T.J. Hockenson, will look to have a bounce-back year after only starting nine games last season while recovering from injury.
In the running game, veteran back Aaron Jones is returning, and the Vikings will likely look to pair him with a younger player.
The Vikings have spent significant money in free agency overhauling the offensive line, reportedly signing center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw will be returning from injury, but before getting hurt, he was one of the league's best linemen. Stalwart right tackle Brian O'Neill will hold down the other tackle spot.
