The Minnesota Vikings have high expectations for former Michigan QB JJ McCarthy since they drafted him with the No. 11 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
McCarthy is practicing new concepts and throwing to new receivers as he gets accustomed to the Minnesota Vikings playbook. He is using different footwork. Defenders are moving across his line of vision faster than he has ever experienced. Inconsistency should be the expectation. And the frustrated McCarthy clapped at himself after some throws. After good ones, he high-fived fellow quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall and patted the helmets of receivers.
Tonyan complimented McCarthy on Thursday for his affinity for “ripping it.” Other than that, the Vikings staffers and players remained mostly quiet about McCarthy’s performance. That isn’t surprising, either.
They want to take this slow, the Athletic reported. To help him develop confidence. To allow him to try throws, make mistakes and learn. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff believe that’s the best path to long-term success, and everyone seems on board.
The Minnesota Vikings have opted to play the slow game with McCarthy — and at least as of now — it appears as if Sam Darnold has the edge to win the starting job when the 2024 season starts.
Darnold looked calm, confident and prepared for what is likely to be another starting opportunity, based on the report from The Athletic.
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While it’s hard to come away with any firm grasp on how a rookie QB will play in the NFL based on his performance at OTAs, McCarthy didn’t exactly dazzle the Vikings coaching staff in his first official activities with the team.
According to The Athletic, his McCarthy missed some passes over the first two days. He grounded one to fullback C.J. Ham in the flat. He hummed a throw over the middle Wednesday that safety Theo Jackson lunged and tipped.
Thursday, though, McCarthy looked much better. He lasered one over the middle to tight end Robert Tonyan. He feathered a completion to receiver Trent Sherfield on the far right sideline. Tracking passes feels like a fruitless exercise right now — so many variables factor into these throws, and all a basic stat line does is falsely sway
He reads the Vikings playbook with his girlfriend, Katya Kuropas, every night, and the consensus is that fans are excited to see how he performs in 2024.
