It's no secret that Colin Cowherd doesn't think much of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, as he continues to take shots at the 22-year-old.
But Cowherd isn't the only one who's a bit skeptical about how the 2024 first-round pick will perform after missing his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury.
The Athletic recently released its annual "QB Tiers" list for the upcoming 2025 season, which is voted on by a group of 50 anonymous NFL coaches and executives. And McCarthy now has a little extra bulletin board material, as he was one of eight signal-callers placed in the Tier 4 category, ranking 29th overall, one spot behind the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. and one spot ahead of the Indianapolis Colts' (and former Viking) Daniel Jones.
Naturally, there are concerns about the health of Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
The overall definition for a Tier 4 quarterback is "an unproven player (not enough information for voters to classify) or a veteran who ideally would not start all 17 games." Honestly, that assessment can only be described as accurate, seeing as how McCarthy has yet to take a regular-season snap.
Naturally, however, many of those who voted are concerned with McCarthy's meniscus, which required surgery after the initial tear last August and then again in November to reduce swelling.
One coach stated, "I just hope he is not an (injury-prone) guy." And another had this to say: "How healthy is he going to be? They are only doing one joint camp with New England. He plays on Monday night in Chicago to open the season. I'm pretty interested to see what that looks like."
Even the one who had the nicest things to say about him started his statement with concern.
"I would have hope for him with that coach and that system if he can stay healthy," a former NFL general manager said. "He has that slight build. He looked pretty good in the (2024) preseason, in a short period of time. I believe in the head coach and the system. He has the arm strength, he is athletic, he is smart, he has all those things."
The coach who mentioned his 2024 preseason performance was certainly on the money, as McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a Vikings victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, his lone outing before he was shut down after reporting soreness in his knee during practice the following week.
McCarthy played just one series in Minnesota's preseason opener this past weekend against the Houston Texans, completing four of seven passes for 30 yards, which may be the only time he takes the field before the Vikings visit the Chicago Bears for the regular-season opener on Monday, September 8.
Injury concerns aside, another head coach chimed in with a Cowherd-like take, saying, "I don't just hear slam dunk stuff out of there," perhaps implying that the Vikings weren't completely sold on handing the reins to McCarthy this season until Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
As a first-round pick, McCarthy was always going to face a lot of pressure. And given what Darnold did a season ago in his absence, that pressure has undoubtedly intensified. All anyone can do now is just sit back and wait to see how this all plays out once games that matter get underway.