Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was arguably the most polarizing player in this year’s NFL Draft class, but it didn’t stop the Vikings from taking him with the 10th overall pick.
McCarthy has been lauded by some for his intangibles, but others have expressed legitimate concerns over his physical limitations heading into the NFL.
Don’t tell that to McCarthy’s personal quarterback coach, John Beck, who envisions a lot of success in the University of Michigan product’s future.
However, Beck has offered a rather strange comparison for McCarthy.
Jay Cutler.
“The very same things that made Mike Shanahan like Jay Cutler and take him as a first-rounder are going to be some of the things people in this tree will see when he comes out of college,” Beck said, via Alec Lewis of The Athletic. “He has a combination of arm strength, being able to drive balls to certain locations on the field, tied together with the ability to utilize athleticism in the keeper and play-pass game.”
Cutler was originally selected by the Denver Broncos with the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. He spent the first three years of his career with the Broncos before being traded to the Chicago Bears in 2009. He then resided with the Bears for eight seasons, retired, and then came back out of retirement to play one campaign for the Miami Dolphins in 2017.
Not that Cutler was a bad quarterback, but he made just one Pro Bowl throughout his NFL career and led the league in interceptions twice. On top of that, he made the playoffs only once.
To be fair, Beck seemed to be comparing McCarthy to Cutler more based on how Cutler was viewed coming out of Vanderbilt. Cutler was considered a top prospect back then.
Still, the hope is that McCarthy will be a much better NFL quarterback than Cutler, who never really a standout season.
McCarthy is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he led Michigan to a national championship while throwing for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 72.3 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 202 yards and three scores.
We’ll see if J.J. McCarthy is able to deliver in his rookie campaign next season.
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