For Minnesota Vikings fans, the wait to see JJ McCarthy in live action must have felt like an eternity. After missing his entire rookie year with a meniscus injury, the 2024 10th overall pick finally took the field for the Vikings in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Houston Texans. And the return was as emotional as it was promising.
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JJ McCarthy, who admitted he had “a little tear drop” during the national anthem, led a composed 13-play opening drive that ended with points on the board. He went 4-of-7 for 30 yards and added an 8-yard rush.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell praised the 22-year-old for his “composure and poise,” and his ability to run the show as the staff had hoped.
But while JJ McCarthy’s debut was brief, the expectations for him were not. With Sam Darnold out of the picture and O’Connell committing fully to the Michigan alum as QB1, the pressure to deliver is immense. It’s one thing to look steady in August and another to win games when the NFC North and playoff hopes are on the line.
McCarthy’s much-anticipated debut took center stage on the latest episode of Dudes on Dudes. Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman pulled out their ‘crystal ball’ to predict whether the Vikings would win more than 8 games this season.
Gronk was full of optimism by praising O’Connell’s leadership and the roster’s talent. Edelman, however, hesitated.
“It’s one of those ones where… they have a rookie quarterback that we have no clue how he’s going to do,” Edelman said, noting that McCarthy didn’t throw much in college and will start the season without Jordan Addison, who’s suspended for the first three games.
“We’re just going to assume that the kid’s going to come in and win a lot of games like that? This is really his rookie year,” he added.
Gronkowski, however, called it a “rookie plus” year, likening JJ McCarthy’s situation to NBA star Ben Simmons, who sat out his first year before becoming Rookie of the Year. That’s when the former Patriots WR jumped in with a warning: “But I hope he doesn’t become Ben Simmons.”
Why did Edelman show caution? While Simmons entered the league with high expectations and early accolades, his career trajectory stalled, marred by injuries and lost confidence, and he didn’t produce as much as he should have. In Julian’s view, the Vikings can’t afford their franchise QB’s development to follow a similar arc.
For now, JJ McCarthy has shown early signs of the maturity and skill set Minnesota hoped for when they drafted him. But as Edelman’s comments underline, one promising preseason drive is only the beginning; sustaining that composure over a full NFL campaign will be the real test.
Safe to say, a lot of eyes will be on the young QB this year!
