J.J. McCarthy is less than a month away from playing in his first regular-season game as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, so it's fair to assume that he likely has some nerves about his debut.
However, it doesn't sound like McCarthy is currently feeling any anxiousness about the Vikings' upcoming season. In fact, in a discussion with local Twin Cities reporters on Wednesday, the young quarterback shared something else that is actually giving him "goosebumps" when he was asked about how confident he's feeling these days.
"[My confidence is] extremely high. Highest it's ever been. Just looking at the guys around me and the coaching staff, that gives me all the confidence in the world to go out there, knowing [who] I've got at my back and at all of our backs.
I get goosebumps right now just thinking about it.
Just extremely confident and just the way we attack every single day, we put in the work and the rest is going to take care of itself. Having that confidence level is a precursor of the work that we put in, it just makes me really excited."
Confidence level of J.J. McCarthy is exactly where the Minnesota Vikings would like it to be
Week 1 can't come soon enough for McCarthy because everyone just needs to see this kid out on the field.
Outside of Minnesota, most assume that he's just a typical young quarterback who is filled with jitters and nerves about becoming the starting signal-caller of a team that won 14 games last season.
But McCarthy has been putting in the work ever since he joined the Vikings, which makes it incredibly easy to believe him when he says something like his confidence is "extremely high."
Minnesota's new starting quarterback is a natural leader, and his teammates and coaches have made that clear throughout his football career.
McCarthy's confidence in himself and his leadership skills ultimately helped lead Michigan to winning the College Football Playoff National Championship in his final college season, and Vikings fans are hoping he can do something similar for their favorite team one day.