In the past, some of the biggest critics of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy have attempted to claim that he doesn't have the so-called "big arm" that some view as a necessary attribute for passing success in the NFL. Well, Vikings All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson recently did his best to silence these myths about McCarthy's arm strength.
On Monday, Jefferson answered some questions from the local Twin Cities media, and according to Minnesota Vikings On SI's Will Ragatz, Minnesota's star pass-catcher took some time to praise the arm strength of the team's new starting quarterback.
"He definitely has an arm, that’s for sure. He can definitely zip it when he has to."
Justin Jefferson silences the arm strength critics of Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
Since he's among the players who have been catching passes from McCarthy during the Vikings' OTA practice sessions this year, Jefferson knows all about how strong of an arm the team's young signal-caller has.
Despite the receiver's comments on Monday, unfortunately, there will still probably be multiple talking heads that will continue to criticize McCarthy's "lack" of arm strength for the next few months until he actually takes the field in September for Minnesota in the team's 2025 regular-season opener.
These people are counting on their audiences not to go and take five seconds of their lives to look up the fact that McCarthy actually recorded the second-highest throwing velocity in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
In addition to having the ability to throw at a high velocity, McCarthy was one of the most accurate passers to come out of the 2024 draft. According to data from PFF, he ranked fifth in the nation with an 80 percent adjusted completion rate during his final college season at Michigan.
That rate ranked higher than Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix Jr., who were all selected before McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Until he gets the chance to play in an actual, meaningful NFL game, McCarthy's doubters are still going to make themselves heard. But based on Jefferson's comments on Monday, there's a very good chance that it's not going to take long for the young Vikings quarterback to quiet his critics next season.