There were already nervous people around the league and in the media who were worried about Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy taking over as the starting quarterback after missing all of last season due to a torn meniscus injury. Those chatters have not settled down on it. In fact, it's getting pretty loud.
Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport named his winners and losers of training camp through two weeks. McCarthy found himself on the wrong side of the conversation as he fell under the "loser" category due to his reported "struggles" in camp.
"So far in camp, that McCarthy-led offense has struggled—so much so that per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, head coach Kevin O’ Connell made a point of saying, “The sky has not fallen, so it's all good."
For his part. McCarthy acknowledged the struggles, but he also said he’s learning from them as he continues to shake off the rust of last year’s lost campaign.
“When the periods don't go your way," he said, "you're always asking why. It's never a loss, and you're always learning from it, good or bad, but especially those periods where they really get you. I feel like that's where we can learn the most about ourselves in our offense and identity."
It’s hardly time to press the panic button, and we have seen O’ Connell coax solid play from a number of different quarterbacks.
But after winning 14 games last year, the Vikings have lofty expectations in 2025. And those expectations ratchet up the pressure on McCarthy to be a quick study."
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy's struggles are not the correct narrative, and it is way too early to put him in the "loser" category
Davenport is right. There's not even a reason to have one hand hovering over the panic button. Two weeks in, and the reports of McCarthy struggling are not 100% accurate.
Yes, he's had his ups and downs, which is expected since this is only his second training camp, and he didn't have much time practicing on the field as an NFL player. McCarthy's injury came after their first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders in early August, so there is a learning curve to this.
The Athletic's Alec Lewis said it best about McCarthy's training camp performance in his recent article, which piggybacked off of O'Connell's "sky is not falling" comment.
"Young quarterback J.J. McCarthy hadn’t struggled to any concerning degree, but the lack of consistent ball movement warranted a response from O’Connell. It’s like asking a baseball manager about his starting pitcher. The stat line says this, but what did you see?"
Timing and accuracy are always things every quarterback has to work on during training camp. Those are things that improve with more practice and more time spent with their receivers.
Winning shouldn't be a concern, given the talent surrounding McCarthy and the fact that he has lost just one game since 2021. Lewis shared this glimmer of hope for all Vikings fans.
"But the most notable play happened earlier in the day, when McCarthy caught the snap and positioned his eyes to the right. Before releasing the football, he recognized the opposing cornerback inching forward. So the quarterback reset, progressed to the middle and threw an accurate pass to Addison. There was no dialogue following this completion. Instead, O’Connell leaped out onto the field from his spot behind the play and excitedly gave McCarthy a high-five."
That is what Vikings fans can expect to see often with McCarthy once he's deep into the season.