The Minnesota Vikings are expected to have young quarterback J.J. McCarthy behind center when the 2025 NFL season starts.
After sitting out his rookie season with a knee injury, McCarthy should make his regular-season debut later this year.
Speculation about the type of quarterback McCarthy will be in 2025 varies wildly. Some question his ability to handle an offense with a heavier passing attack, but for the most part, reports have been optimistic about what he will bring to the team.
Minnesota Vikings fans got some more encouragement about J.J. McCarthy thanks to a former Detroit Lions QB
One part of J.J. McCarthy's NFL career has never been questioned. To this point, the young quarterback has been praised for his work ethic, respect for others, and devotion to the game of football.
That praise was brought to light again when former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky shared his opinion of McCarthy in a post on X. His words should be very reassuring for fans of the Minnesota Vikings.
"Down at the @NFLPA Classic at Mayakoba
I cannot express how impressive JJ McCarthy is and how he carries himself, interacts with the fellas.
@Vikings will be just fine."
The 22-year-old was a National Champion at the University of Michigan and hasn't had red flags raised about his personality or how he carries himself on or off the football field. Although it's not an endorsement for how he could play on the field, it does lend to the kind of player he is and what he brings to the locker room.
Orlovsky is a 13-year veteran of the NFL and an analyst for ESPN. He has been a part of many teams and locker rooms and knows what it takes to acclimate to the league from watching other players come and go.
The NFLPA Classic is a golf event where 18 teams of four play in a casual game full of skill with plenty of trash talk. At this year's event, Vikings safety Harrison Smith was a team captain with fellow current and former Minnesota players Adam Thielen, Case Keenum, and J.J. McCarthy rounding out the foursome.
Other Vikings players participating in the event were center Ryan Kelly, Josh Dobbs, Brett Rypien, Trevor Siemian, Jordan Hicks, T.J. Hockenson, Robert Tonyan, Andrew Van Ginkel, Garrett Bradbury, and Brian O'Neill.
You can watch the NFLPA Classic on March 25 and 26 at 5 p.m. CST on the Golf Channel. It would be fun to see so many past and current Vikings players having some fun on the links to help ease the torture of the long NFL offseason.