J.J. McCarthy's Starting Status Gets Crucial Update From Vikings Coach

The Minnesota Vikings used a first-round pick to get former Michigan Wolverines star quarterback J.J. McCarthy during the 2024 NFL Draft.

Many view McCarthy as the Vikings’ future long-term quarterback following the departure of Kirk Cousins. However, it remains uncertain when exactly McCarthy will get his first start for the Vikings.

During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Monday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported that Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell’s stance on McCarthy’s chances to start depends on the young signal-caller’s football maturity.

"How do you know when JJ McCarthy is going to be ready? And what he told me this summer is that in essence, he'll know when McCarthy's ready, when the challenges he already faces as an NFL quarterback won't be magnified by his inexperience."

For now, McCarthy can be viewed as the Vikings’ QB2, with Sam Darnold atop the pecking order. Darnold has a clear advantage in terms of experience over McCarthy, but his floor and perhaps ceiling are pretty much determined already, as he’s been a pro for six years.

McCarthy‘s time to start will come, but it’s unlikely to happen in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.

In his final season with the Wolverines, McCarthy passed for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns against only four interceptions, while completing 72.3 percent of his throws.

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