There's naturally always pressure on any first-round NFL draft pick to come into the league and make an immediate impact. That pressure amps up for those taken in the top 10. And when that top-10 selection is a quarterback? Forget about it.
Such was the pressure put on J.J. McCarthy the moment the Minnesota Vikings made him the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. Of course, we all know what happened a few months later, as the Michigan alum was forced to miss his entire rookie campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury during training camp.
But while some may think the pressure was off during his recovery, it was actually only intensifying, as Sam Darnold, who'd failed to live up to his first-round draft status for the first six years of his career, stepped up and set personal bests in 2024.
Darnold set new career records in completion percentage (66.2), passing yards (4,319), and touchdown passes (35) last season en route to leading the Vikes to a 14-3 regular-season record, thus earning himself a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
So, if a guy like Darnold can do what he did in Minnesota, McCarthy should be able to duplicate that success, right? That's obviously what Vikings fans are hoping. And now, there's even more pressure on young J.J.'s shoulders thanks to Aaron Rodgers. Wait, what?
Aaron Rodgers impressive debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers puts more pressure on Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
For those who may have already chosen to forget, there was a lot of speculation about Rodgers taking the complete Brett Favre career path once his two-year tenure with the New York Jets came to a close during the offseason.
McCarthy was never going anywhere. But with Darnold gone and the Vikings also opting not to attempt to bring back Daniel Jones, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback contacted Minnesota with a pitch to come to the Twin Cities for one year to make a run at a Super Bowl while also serving as a mentor to McCarthy.
And the Vikings did apparently listen, but obviously chose to move forward with McCarthy, at which point Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And in his first game with his new team on Sunday, the four-time NFL MVP looked absolutely phenomenal, completing 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Steelers' wild 34-32 win over none other than the Jets.
Yes, it's only one game. And we all know Week 1 reactions are a little more amplified than most other weeks of the season.
Nevertheless, it's certainly worth mentioning as McCarthy prepares for his first-ever regular-season game on Monday Night Football against the team he grew up rooting for, the Chicago Bears.
If McCarthy struggles and the Vikings lose, one has to wonder if any second-guessing will occur, both from fans and the Minnesota front office, about the decision not to bring Rodgers into the fold.
Again, though, this is just Week 1, and overreactions are going to happen no matter what takes place on Soldier Field on Monday night. Such is the beauty of football being back. We now just have to wait and see how things play out.