JJ McCarthy participated in his first practice with the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, for the opening of mini-camp. That means, media and fans got to see him wearing his helmet and red quarterback practice jersey for the first time.
Obviously, today’s workload was light. Nonetheless, we got to see the Vikings’ new franchise QB throw the ball around a little bit and he even took to the podium for a quick back and forth with gathered media members afterwards.
Videos of JJ McCarthy at his first Minnesota Vikings practice
All of the reporters and content creators at today’s practice all had their cameras focused in for whatever throwing reps they could get of McCarthy during his first time out on the TCP Performance fields to show off his arm to everyone able to watch. And thanks to modern technology… that’s pretty much anyone with an internet connection.
Not all recorded reps were that pretty. In a small window that shed light into a future reality that cannot be avoided when raising a 21-year-old quarterback, SKOR North got a camera lense one of JJ’s final throws of the day, one in which he clearly missed a read or had a receiver that ran the wrong route, etc.
In the clip, McCarthy drops back and nearly unloads… until pulling back at the last moment and then throwing an off-balanced side arm spinner that likely didn’t end well. Obviously, this is no big deal and probably happens to the most veteran of throwers sometimes.
Everyone was getting so high on McCarthy hype, leading up to Friday, that the above video serves as a small reminder that JJ isn’t going to win a league MVP this season and the Minnesota Vikings probably aren’t hosting any Super Bowl parade, come February.
But there are going to be moments throughout the next couple of seasons that make us wonder if JJ McCarthy really is the guy. He will have highs that make us believe he’s the next Aaron Rodgers; and he’s going to experience lows that make us wonder if our favorite football team made a huge mistake.
If JJ McCarthy really is the guy, however, he will eventually throw all of those concerns out of our minds. Until then, of course, our Minnesota sports anxiety will reign supreme.
JJ McCarthy already plays like a veteran with media
If you’d like an elixir for that QB anxiety, though, look no further than McCarthy’s time with media today, which came minutes after he walked off the practice fields in Eagan. Watching this kid talk to media tells you everything you need to know about why the Vikings coaching staff and front office is so high on him.
In fact, he was impressing people before he even got to the podium, introducing himself to media members and trying to get names down, so he can interact with them better going forward. I mean… I’m 35 years old and I’m not sure I would have thought of that. Yes, he’s probably been coached on stuff like that. Still, I’m impressed. Others probably are too.
Oh, and if you are attending Target Center on Sunday for Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets (game 4), look for the new biggest Wolves fan in town, because our new franchise QB will be part of what is guaranteed to be an absolutely electric atmosphere both tonight and later this weekend.
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