“I think the last quarterback to win in overtime against Alabama was none other than Tom Brady. I’ve said it before, but right here, this is the greatest quarterback in University of Michigan history,” Jim Harbaugh had said in 2024, famously comparing J.J. McCarthy to Tom Brady. This came after the Wolverines’ Rose Bowl win over Alabama.
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It seems Harbaugh recognizes similar qualities and thereby the potential for McCarthy to develop into one of the league’s elite quarterbacks like Brady did. The good news for McCarthy is that many others feel the same.
Paul Farrington, producer of ‘What’s Wright?’ with Nick Wright, thinks J.J. is a legitimate contender to have a career like Brady’s. “What I love the most about McCarthy is the approach that he has,” he said, before touching on his other attributes.
“Obviously, you need talent. But I love the mentality. I love the way J.J. is a student of the game. His approach to everything is very detail-oriented,” added Wright on The Paul Farrington Show.
Isn’t it a little premature to compare McCarthy to the GOAT even before he’s played a single snap? Even if it’s just to say they have a similar work ethic.
Yes. Yes, it is. And that’s why Farrington’s guest Robert “Ziggy” Ziegler couldn’t help but poke fun at him by making a bizarre prediction about McCarthy’s future with the Vikings.
“I’m gonna give you a simple analysis of how what Paul just said makes sense. How many Super Bowls did Brady go to? 10. What number did he wear at Michigan? 10. What number did McCarthy wear at Minnesota? 9. So, he’s gonna take the Vikings to 9 Super Bowls,” said Ziegler.
It is simply too early to make any kind of predictions about McCarthy right now. Was he a great quarterback in college? Yes. Does he have a great work ethic? Sure. But many quarterbacks have entered the league with these same attributes and expectations and then crashed and burned.
Caleb Williams entered the league as the number one overall pick last year, and just look how his first season with the Bears went. It’s not only premature to be making these comparisons but also unfair to put that kind of pressure on a young and promising athlete. What do you think?
