Let's be honest with ourselves. J.J. McCarthy has not lived up to expectations since becoming the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings for the 2025 NFL season. A first-round pick in 2024, fans hoped he would show the potential that would give hope of him being the quarterback of the future for the team.
McCarthy has only started six games for the Vikings, but there hasn't been a lot to be excited about so far. His struggles with decision-making, accuracy, and consistency have led to some crazy theories about what could be happening with him; still, the team seems to stay committed to seeing what he can do with more experience.
Now, the rest of the season is essentially an opportunity for Minnesota to continue evaluating its quarterback. With a 4-8 record and extremely slim chances of making the postseason, there isn't a whole lot else left to hope for this year.
Minnesota Vikings reveal their goals for QB J.J. McCarthy for the remainder of the season
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell spoke to the media on Wednesday and shared some interesting comments about the expectations for his starting quarterback moving forward.
"I think we've talked a lot about plenty of moments, that you guys probably have locked away for eternity, of fundamentals and technique and all those things, and I appreciate the questions and the interest and the understanding of the quarterback development process. But as I talked to him this week, it's purely about decision making at this point.
And there'll be time to ultimately fundamentally focus on things and continue building kind of this layer of a foundation that will be important for him into the future. But now it feels like he's got enough experience, he kind of knows a lot of these principles that we've talked about.
I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play, but play with an understanding of the decisions that I make with the ball in my hand. The decisions that I make as a passer, as we've learned, very important as a runner to protect himself and make sure that we can keep him in there."
O'Connell mentioned fundamentals and technique, but stressed decision-making over everthing else when talking to the media. He did mention that there will be time to work on other issues, but decision-making took top priority.
Another major issue that McCarthy has faced since joining the NFL is injury. He missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, then missed time in his second year with an ankle ailment as well as a concussion.
There is an old saying that availability is the best ability. Last week, Vikings fans were forced to watch a game where they were shut out against the Seattle Seahawks with backup quarterback Max Brosmer behind center.
With no real depth behind McCarthy, there aren't many options if there is a reason McCarthy can't suit up for one of the team's remaining games. Sadly, there isn't much else to get excited about with Minnesota this season other than finding out if McCarthy can take the next steps needed to become a capable quarterback for the future.
J.J. McCarthy will have an opportunity to show what he has learned on Sunday when the Vikings take on the Washington Commanders. Hopefully, fans will see some progress from the young quarterback.