J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings could be part of the next great NFL rivalry

A new era is beginning for the Minnesota Vikings this year, and it centers around their decision to select former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy during last month's NFL Draft.

After spending the last six seasons with Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback, the Vikings are starting over at the position with McCarthy and hoping to win more than one playoff game during the next six years.

Minnesota wasn't the only team to hit the reset button at quarterback during this year's NFL Draft, though. In fact, they weren't even the only team in their own division to completely start over at the quarterback position.

Could J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams turn the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Chicago Bears into the next epic NFL rivalry?

Each era in NFL history has typically been defined by a highly competitive rivalry between two teams or two players. Many times, these rivalries have been headlined by some of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Some of the most recent big-time rivalries between NFL quarterbacks have included Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen, Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers vs. Ben Roethlisberger, and Brett Favre vs. Steve Young.

With the Chicago Bears drafting former USC signal-caller Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick this year, could we see the games between the Vikings and their NFC North rival during the next decade turn into must-watch matchups?

Considering both were selected in the same NFL Draft, McCarthy and Williams are likely going to be compared to each other during the majority of their careers in the league. Luckily for both young passers, they'll get at least two chances each season to lead their respective teams to a victory over the other.

Since they're both a part of the same division, Minnesota and Chicago already have a rivalry. However, the intensity of it would certainly pick up in a major way if McCarthy and Williams are able to put together some classic battles during the next few years.

We might have to wait a little bit for this rivalry to blossom, depending on how long the Vikings want to wait until letting McCarthy make his debut. But once Minnesota's young quarterback establishes himself as the team's starter, the pair of annual showdowns between McCarthy vs. Williams has the potential to emerge as one of the next great rivalries in the NFL.

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