The Minnesota Vikings seem content to take their time with rookie quarterback J. J. McCarthy and have no plans to rush him into the starting lineup just yet.
ESPN reports that McCarthy is "squarely behind" Sam Darnold in the team's pecking order as minicamp progresses. Darnold has been snagging most of the first-team reps, while Nick Mullens holds down the second spot.
Darnold, who joined the Vikings on a one-year, $10 million deal in March, was quickly overshadowed by the buzz around McCarthy, who was picked 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft from Michigan. The Vikings hope he'll blossom into a franchise leader.
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It's no surprise that the Vikings are easing McCarthy into his role, given his raw talent noted during the draft. Despite his impressive 27-1 record as a starter at Michigan and a victorious end to his college career with a 34-13 win over Washington in the CFP National Championship, the Wolverines' game plan didn't revolve around him but leaned heavily on their running game.
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In his last season, McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns against four interceptions, completing 240 of 332 passes. He also added 202 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Though McCarthy might not be ready to jump in as a day-one starter in the NFL, he's got one of the league's top receivers to target once he does take over as QB1. The Vikings recently secured All-Pro Justin Jefferson with a four-year, $140 million extension, ensuring he stays on the team until the 2028 season.
The Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Jefferson has already started giving McCarthy some valuable advice for his rookie year. "I talked to J.J. as soon as he got drafted," he shared with reporters. “I told him confidence is key, just coming into this league with confidence and being able to have that leadership just right off the bat being a rookie.
“There's going to be people to come and help. Of course, I'm going to be that main person to be in his ear and try to teach him and try to prepare him for what we're about to go through. But I told him this league is tough. It's not an easy job to come out here and perform at the highest ability, especially as a rookie. But I definitely will be that main person that he can lean on and help throughout the way.”
McCarthy, despite being relatively new to his Vikings role, has already made a positive impression on Jefferson. "A new energy. A new soul. I love his confidence. I love his attitude," Jefferson expressed. "Of course him coming off a championship, you can't have any more confidence than that. That confidence is going to continue to be with him."
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