The Athletic: What's next for JJ McCarthy?

supafreak84 wrote:

I'm firmly in the JJ McCarthy camp here. I don't think he'll get a real chance to start now with Murray in the fold, but if I'm JJ, I'm looking at this knowing Murray has played 8 games or less in two of the last three years, is small, and has a tendency to get dinged up. If that plays out as has been the trend, I'm going to make it impossible for OConnell to put me back on the bench. I think that's how JJ has to look at it. There will be an opportunity at some point and he has to grab hold of it.

I still contend that this is more of an open competition than the media and fans think it is.  KOC has said how he liked the competition with Darnold bringing out the best in JJ McCarthy.  He had a strong training camp and played really well in the preseason game.  Maybe this move is intended to light a fire in JJ again and see if we get that QB we saw in 2024 prior to the meniscus injury?

Also might help keep his maturity in line if he knows there is a former #1 overall pick waiting in the wings if he doesn't take care of his business?

Nah, not IMO anyway. I just think playing in real games is much different than practice or preseason games. I also don't think JJM is the kind of kid that needs that kind of motivation to succeed. He's just raw and needs lots of passing reps in the NFL to break through. I always maintained, even before JJ threw one NFL real game pass, that it was going to be very up and down his first year starting. Sitting and watching will do nothing, if that were the case then he would have benefitted from the games where Uncle Sammy was putting up a master class in NFL passing in front of him. 

He was a raw draft choice coming in that got injured and couldn't throw a NFL pass for a whole regular season into March the following year. No QB2 and no reps. Now it seems KOC doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to supply what he needs in development and is moving toward betting on himself in the short term and taking some risk out of the strategy.

Crazy about the KOC history though--he was Johnny Manziel's private qb tutor and then was his qb coach at Cleveland.  Yikes.  [b]The QB lisperer[/b] is definitely a media narrative without much foundation.

I don't agree about KOC, but this did make me laugh ;)

I agree completely with Rich and basically is my thought why this isn't really a competition:

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zAeG9CkLk0[/video]

It's all bullshit. 

100%. I've been saying this for over a month.
[hr]

IMO, none of this conjecture matters. JJ’s future is not with us. If it was, we’d be seeing what his progression this year looks like on the field. If the team TRULY believed in his development, there would be no question he’d be the starter this year. 

Ultimately this^

KOC needs to stick to trying to rehabbing the vets at KOC University because he's got no stomach for rookies. 

Remember, 10 wins is the absolute floor this year, the threadbare minimum.

Im waiting for the the not quite good enough season from Murray and then the koc apologists / purple koolaid drinkers to come running in with the "complex offense that took Cosuins 1.5 years to get comfortable in  need to give them more time" type of excuses.

I am also ready for our OL to be "shit" again,  holding calls will be up, and Murray is going to take hits and likely get injured because blocking for those guys is damn hard when you have no idea what they are going to do back there.

My only main gripe with KOC is that it appears he's walking away from a talented young kid in JJM. I don't understand how the org can't build momentum and development with McCarthy when they've seen him make some throws that maybe 5 QBs in the NFL make. I get it, his bad play has sucked out loud. But what about the last 3-4 games he played? Marked improvement. Whatever. He needs reps and he's not going to get them. So the KR Experiment better work in spades.

No reason for all the black armband wearing JJ supporters give up hope he will be the Vikings future.

Yes, how silly of us.....its such an obvious and positive transaction/move for McCarthy's future.  :rolleyes:

So here's what a buddy of mine always says....'would you put a $100 on it?'. Anyone willing to do that saying JJM will be QB1? ;)

Not asking anyone to bet, just saying putting it thru that prism adds a little clarity IMO.

I think you've correctly judged the appearance.   

Wait until you read the Albert Breer article, lol. Apparently its one of the few things I've judged correctly with a QB because my take on McCarthy when drafted was profoundly wrong. 

[img]https://media1.tenor.com/m/ndLbImNhEkQAAAAC/oops-steve-carell.gif[/img]

Regardless of what kind of QB play we get or who ends up playing QB1 the most games in 2026, they are going to benefit from better O-line play than in '25. There is no way in hell we can have the amount of injuries we had last year this upcoming year. No way. And I say this without worrying about jinxing it because it was beyond an anomaly how bad it was. So that will bode well for Murray, the run game, etc.

oy...

[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg[/img]

lol, seriously. Unless a manure spreader jack-knives on the Santa Anna, hitting the bus carrying all of the Viking's offensive linemen, it cant get worse.

 Let JJM focus on developing.  Then if Murray is out for more than a game, reconvene and figure out who's the starter for the next game.

You aren't developing Wentz.  Just let him have backup duty.  Don't clutter JJM with game day stuff too much.  Focus on development.

This is the disconnect and why the 'JJM is still the QBOTF' crowd doesn't seem to get it: how is JJ developing on the bench? And now as a possible QB3, who gets zero reps, zero focus during the season and runs the scout team. For those in the back: HE'S ALREADY STARTED GAMES and now he's going to be benched. Its unprecedented and offers no value to JJ's development. At all. I mean honestly.... Its nonsensical. You either choose to read the writing on the wall or you don't here IMO.

KM is QB1, that's done. Having JJM be QB2 at least gives him a shot with injury to be showcased again this year, either for Minnesota or a team to trade for him if he shows out. There's value all the way around doing that. Making JJ QB3? 0.0% sense. Just trade him on Draft day for a 5th round pick and be done with it.

^ This dude 'writes' for the Daily Norseman, lol.

Bryce Young was benched early in 2024, his 2nd season. Since being drafted #1 overall, he was 2–16 as a starter, averaging 176 passing yards per game with 11 TDs, 13 INTs and a 71.0 passer rating. 

He sat for 5 weeks, returning week 8 after Andy Dalton got hurt.

Since his return, he has thrown for 5208 total yards with 42 TDs, 15 INTs, a 91.3 passer rtg and 10 game winning drives. He took the Panthers to the playoffs in '25 and lost to the Rams 31-28. Young threw 3 TDs and 0 INTs in the game.

I sincerely hope you are right. I guess I'd just take a strong QB1 by the end of this season, would be great.