As the Minnesota Vikings struggle with their quarterback situation, some fans' eyes are on J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy was once hailed as the Vikings’ quarterback of the future, but after flopping in his first year as a starter, he was buried on the depth chart behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz and traded to the New York Giants in September.
Since then, the Giants have proclaimed him a changed man, but something looked very familiar when he injured his hip in the third quarter of Sunday’s victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants were able to win the game despite the injury, and McCarthy even returned to see the game through. But it’s a familiar problem that may have punched his ticket out of Minnesota and one that could give his revival storyline with the Giants a similar ending.
J.J. McCarthy is facing the same availability issues he had with the Vikings
Many of the reasons McCarthy was traded came down to his performance. Chosen to start over bringing back Sam Darnold and signing Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 games.
Maturity issues and other behind-the-scenes drama also contributed to a lost season, and the Vikings decided they were better off without him by trading him to New York.
Entering Sunday, McCarthy showed some improvement, completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 495 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. But the final shoe to drop was the injury bug he hasn’t been able to escape.
You may have noticed that McCarthy only made 10 starts in his lone year as a starter, and that was because he missed five games with a high ankle sprain (or “soft benching” if you prefer), another game with a concussion, and a third game with a fracture in his right (throwing) hand.
But he also left the Week 16 meeting with the Giants and a Week 18 matchup with the Green Bay Packers early and missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn meniscus, which added to his missed time on task.
With McCarthy also showing a knack for rifling passes that made Wally The Beerman fear for his life in the upper deck, his inconsistent play and availability gave the Vikings plenty of reasons to create a deep, competitive quarterback room that eventually sent McCarthy to New York.
Vikings’ decision to trade J.J. McCarthy looks better after latest injury
McCarthy doesn’t have to worry about being pulled for his performance, as Jaxon Dart is out for the season. But his injury puts a damper on Sunday’s win, in which he completed 12 of 19 passes for 127 yards and took five sacks.
The tendency to hang onto the ball in an effort to make plays was something that plagued McCarthy in Minnesota and could eventually show up with the Giants the longer he stays on the field.
It’s not a reason the Vikings can laugh as they deny their latest “soft benching” ahead of giving Wentz the start in Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. But it is something that may validate the decision to trade McCarthy and why they deemed him unreliable on the way out the door.
In the NFL, there’s a cliché that availability is the best ability. Until McCarthy learns to avoid those injuries, there’s a good chance that he may never fulfill his potential either in Minnesota, New York, or anywhere else he lands after this season.
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