After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, J.J. McCarthy seemed set up for instant success in his first year as the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback. Handing him the starting job was undeniably a big risk, though, and that risk turned into a clear failure to have a contingency plan as McCarthy struggled with injuries, etc.
This offseason, the Vikings will add some kind of competition for McCarthy, if not outright replace him as the starting quarterback. Shy of a big-name addition being made, he should have an opportunity to compete for the starting job, though, and how that competition turns out will pretty much set the track for how the rest of his Vikings' career plays out.
This is where it's worth reminding everyone McCarthy just turned 23 years old (Jan. 20). While he has a lot to prove, he also has the opportunity to rewrite the narrative about him after a rough debut season. While optimism about him is hard to find, let alone have, it can be found in some margins after 10 career starts.
NFL writer offers an optimistic 2026 outlook for Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
NFL.com's Nick Shook recently shared a list of six quarterbacks who he believes are primed to make "the" leap next season, and he (however surprisingly, given the overall circumstances) ended his list with McCarthy.
"McCarthy needs to clear a few requirements in order to earn the faith of Vikings fans in 2026. First, after missing significant time due to a multitude of injuries, he must prove he can stay healthy enough to play in most (if not all) of Minnesota's games.
Next, he needs to fix his footwork, an issue Kevin O'Connell has stressed as important since training camp.
If McCarthy addresses those two issues, the rest should take care of itself, especially under the direction of a former quarterback with an established reputation of being an excellent developer of the position. Oh, and don't forget the receiving corps he's working with, either.
If McCarthy gets on track, Justin Jefferson should enjoy his own bounce-back season that inherently helps produce a breakout year for the quarterback."
Shook set aside the practical guarantee that McCarthy will face competition for the starting job heading into next season. Aside from that, the issues/reasons for concern are obvious, and the reasons for optimism simply transfer from roughly a year ago.
If McCarthy is the starter, if he can stay healthy, if he can figure other things out, and if the offensive line can stay healthy, a proverbial leap may happen next season. That's a whole lot of 'ifs', but that's where we are with the Vikings' young signal caller right now.