In a cluttered media environment, it can be hard to stand out. If you're a prominent and well-paid radio/TV/podcast host, you have to go out on a limb with opinions sometimes. FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd is no stranger to offering "hot takes", and thus, he's not for everyone who consumes sports content.
In parallel with his years-long love for Sam Darnold, Cowherd has taken to critiquing the man who's replacing him as the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback this year, J.J. McCarthy. As reports surfaced from Minnesota's mini-camp back in June, here's some of what Cowherd said on his daily show, "The Herd with Colin Cowherd".
"There's so much mystery here. Why does Minnesota keep flirting with other quarterbacks? And there's too many conflicting reports on J.J. McCarthy. There's a lot of stuff I just don't know. I feel sometimes there's a little bit of a spin job here.
To be a great franchise quarterback, there has to be a 'wow' trait. Let's just go through them. Mahomes: arm talent. Allen: sheer force of size. Lamar: athletic ability. Stafford: has one of the great arms in the last 30 years in the league. Burrow: composure and accuracy. Herbert: big, strong, power arm. C.J. Stroud: accuracy. Hurts: strength, pound for pound. Kyler Murray: elusiveness.
Go read the [scouting reports], he doesn't have a big arm. He does not have a big arm. His arm is considered modest. It is a middle-of-the-pack arm, middle-of-the-pack escapability. In fact, they question his release. His release, at times, can be a little plodding.
I don't get McCarthy's wow trait. I don't see the wow."
McCarthy was later asked about where criticism of his arm strength came from, and after a chuckle, he put Cowherd and others like him in their place.
"That's a great question. I would say a lot of it just comes with the stigma of playing at Michigan, and not throwing the ball a lot.
But, at the same time, it could be my frame, and they don't see a 6-5, 240 guy, so how can he throw it 61 miles an hour at the Combine, and all that. But at the end of the day, you know, it's gonna show up and the people that know 'know'."
Fortunately for him, Cowherd has found a like-minded person about the Vikings' quarterback situation. The Athletic's Dianna Russini was, of course, the reporter driving the Aaron Rodgers-to-Minnesota bus until it went off a cliff, and head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed he simply did a professional courtesy to a long-time friend.
Colin Cowherd just can't let go of his narrative about Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
The Vikings, of course, had their first preseason game this past Saturday against the Houston Texans. McCarthy wasn't perfect, but he did more than enough to silence his critics.
Right on cue though, Cowherd talked the Vikings and McCarthy on Monday's edition of his show.
"The best roster in the league that doesn't have the knowledge that they have a really high-end quarterback, arguably, is Minnesota.
...Minnesota's got a great roster. They don't know if they have the right quarterback.
...The one thing I will say, and I watch J.J. McCarthy, I've always said this, I don't think Michigan kind of prepared him for the NFL."
Cowherd listed off the key things about McCarthy's situation at Michigan as a way to discredit his contribution to the Wolverines' success and a national title in his final year there.
"It does feel like this entire preseason has been about [McCarthy] gaining his confidence."
Cowherd then went to one of his patented stretched analogies about wanting almost a delusional level of confidence in "quarterbacks and surgeons", before getting back to criticizing McCarthy more directly.
"It feels like a little bit of a baby steps process. This is not a baby steps coach. It's not a baby steps roster."
How dare McCarthy not look like a full-fledged franchise quarterback yet. And of course, Cowherd had to finish his thoughts with a mention of his crush, Darnold.
"Kevin O'Connell, we already know, they were willing to sign Sam Darnold for the right number. That has been reported, they told Sam 'Right number, we'll re-sign ya.'
He got 15 more, or 10 million more a year with Seattle, no state tax in Washington, that's a good move. Sam should have taken that and [get to] be 'the guy' without somebody breathing down his neck."
Darnold was right to go somewhere without "somebody" (McCarthy) breathing down his neck? But I thought McCarthy isn't ready to be an NFL starting quarterback?