Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is stepping into the season as one of the NFL’s biggest question marks.
A season-ending knee injury in training camp cost the former Michigan Wolverine his entire rookie year, leaving him without a single regular-season snap. Now, with Pro Bowler Sam Darnold gone in free agency, the Vikings have handed McCarthy the keys to the offense.
Still, not everyone is convinced.
Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd, known for his provocative takes, cautioned that expectations for McCarthy may be overblown, labeling him a “C quarterback.”
“J.J. McCarthy...you’re going to see it very quickly is not what people think,” Cowherd said. “J.J. McCarthy is a C QB. Have you ever seen J.J. McCarthy’s fourth-quarter college stats and playing from behind? They’re terrible.”
Looking back at last season’s training camp battle between McCarthy and Darnold, Cowherd’s loyalty was evident. Since Darnold’s time at USC, Cowherd has been one of his strongest advocates.
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Cowherd tends to lean toward veterans who already have NFL experience, sometimes being a bit skeptical of younger players who haven’t had much time on the field. That kind of doubt is pretty normal when a highly drafted rookie is trying to fill the shoes of a proven starter.
His criticism doesn’t really match up with what McCarthy has done so far.
In the 2024 Rose Bowl, McCarthy kept his cool when it mattered most, leading a key fourth-quarter drive to tie the game against Alabama. Then he helped Michigan pull off a 27–20 overtime win.
McCarthy threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns in a performance that effectively knocked legendary coach Nick Saban into retirement.
Just a week later, McCarthy led Michigan to their first national championship since 1997, finishing an undefeated 15–0 season with a convincing victory over Washington.
That success didn’t start in college.
As a starting quarterback in high school, McCarthy compiled a 36–2 record overall. That included a 26–2 mark at Nazareth Academy in Illinois, where he won a state championship as a sophomore. After transferring to IMG Academy in Florida, he led the program to an undefeated 8–0 season and a national title.
Wherever McCarthy goes, success seems to follow.
That’s what Minnesota and head coach Kevin O’Connell are banking on after selecting him with a top-10 pick. Given the Pro Bowl-caliber season Darnold just completed, it’s fair to wonder if McCarthy can step in and perform at that level immediately.
Cowherd, one of Darnold’s most vocal supporters, isn’t sold on McCarthy. But proving people wrong has become a habit for the former national champion.
Now, with the spotlight fixed on him in Minnesota, he’ll try to do it again on football’s biggest stage.