To the surprise of probably almost no one, it hasn't taken very long for Minnesota Vikings fans to love the direction that the franchise is heading with J.J. McCarthy as the team's new starting quarterback.
The Vikings have only held two full-team OTA practice sessions since the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, but even the reporters in attendance have liked what they've seen from McCarthy so far.
On Wednesday, The Athletic's Alec Lewis shared his thoughts on his X account on how the young quarterback performed in Minnesota's OTA session.
"Lot of good stuff at Vikings OTAs today. It's early — EARLY — but thought J.J. McCarthy looked like the same guy who was starting to really impress late last fall. Same zip, anticipation, bounce. Almost all of the starters were present and active."
If J.J. McCarthy can build upon his hype in OTAs, the Minnesota Vikings could be unstoppable in 2025
Following the impressive numbers that Sam Darnold was able to put up for the Vikings in 2024, many questioned the team's decision to let the veteran quarterback sign elsewhere in free agency earlier this year.
Based on Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell's track record with quarterbacks, however, no one should really be surprised with the team's choice to enter the McCarthy era.
The beauty of it all is that the Vikings don't even need their young quarterback to put on a cape and attempt to carry the entire team on his back. With all the talent they've added this offseason, combined with the playmakers they have returning from their 14-win team in 2024, Minnesota has everything in place to get back to the playoffs next season.
If McCarthy ends up playing at a similar level to the 2024 version of Darnold or better, then the Vikings can think about doing a whole lot more than just qualifying for the playoffs. If this happens, then there should be no reason why Minnesota shouldn't be able to compete for a championship next season.
As Lewis mentioned in his post on Wednesday, it's still early, but Minnesota fans should be excited about the team's decision to enter the 2025 campaign with McCarthy as their new starting quarterback.