There might not be a lot of believers in Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy inside and outside the franchise, but that isn't stopping the young signal caller from putting in the work to get better.
The Vikings brought in former Arizona Cardinals No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray to compete for the starting quarterback position despite everyone believing that he was going to take the job from McCarthy.
The Athletic's Alec Lewis recently shared a new article breaking down what McCarthy is doing to get better than Murray and prove the Vikings wrong.
"Evaluating McCarthy’s offseason progress is another focal point of the next couple of months. He has spent a significant amount of time in California.
John Beck, a former NFL quarterback who has become one of the premier private quarterback developers, trained McCarthy ahead of the 2024 draft. The two have linked back up and are dialed in on mechanical consistencies and applying more touch.
The Vikings are optimistic that McCarthy will show up committed to proving he’s made a major leap."
J.J. McCarthy has got something to prove to the Minnesota Vikings
Last season served as a rookie season despite missing his actual rookie season in 2024 with the meniscus injury.
The 2025 campaign did not go well for McCarthy, as he completed just 57.6 percent of his passes, finishing with 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, but added four rushing scores on the season.
McCarthy's 2025 season got off to a rough beginning, but he managed to win his last four straight starts, scoring seven touchdowns and throwing just two interceptions.
These numbers came after accumulating only eight total scores and 10 interceptions in his first six starts for Minnesota. He finished the year with a 6-4 record in his 10 starts for the Vikings.
There are those who believe that Minnesota has pulled the plug too early on McCarthy after just two seasons and 10 games.
With that being said, patience is low, since this roster has the talent to make a playoff run and a small window to do it if it hasn't already passed them.
Murray has a different talent level than McCarthy, which gives him a major advantage in the quarterback battle, aside from the height concerns.
Murray's mobility and arm strength put him well ahead of where McCarthy needs to be.
McCarthy may never have the impressive arm strength that most NFL teams are looking for in their franchise quarterbacks.
But if he can improve the decision-making and accuracy, that could completely change the course of the 2026 season.
Vikings fans are a long way from seeing the results of the work he has put in, but the hope is that it will be light-years better than 2025.