The Minnesota Vikings are gearing up to have a new starting quarterback for the third time in as many seasons.
Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold each played well for the organization, but when they had the opportunity to select J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, they took it.
One year removed from being drafted and coming off a major injury, McCarthy is ready for his NFL debut, hoping to be the Vikings’ quarterback for the foreseeable future.
He has been given the keys to the offense, in a sense, indicating that the coaching staff believes in him and what he can do, but star wideout Justin Jefferson recently mentioned that expectations of McCarthy should be kept in check.
“He’s pretty much a rookie… you’re not really expecting him to have the same mindset as a veteran,” Jefferson said.
#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson says you “have to have that patience” with JJ McCarthy:
“He’s pretty much a rookie… you’re not really expecting him to have the same mindset as a veteran. You can’t really have that expectation from him.”pic.twitter.com/fiIi3GHsP9
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) July 25, 2025
Jefferson isn’t necessarily speaking ill of McCarthy with these comments, but knows that it can take some time for young players to adjust to the league, especially at the quarterback position.
McCarthy comes to the Vikings with a championship pedigree, winning a national title with the University of Michigan, so he’s used to playing in meaningful games.
This should help him, at least from a mental sense, heading into the NFL, but there’s no telling how a player’s game will translate from college to the pros.
Jefferson has been able to be an All-Pro receiver throughout his career despite having multiple starting QBs, and if his connection with McCarthy is anywhere close to what he had with Sam Darnold again, he should be in a great position to be one of the league’s best.
