'He's got that trait' -- Kevin O'Connell praises Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy with important context about his resume

The Minnesota Vikings decided to go all-in this offseason and fully commit to quarterback J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback.

Now, that wasn't a split-second decision. They wanted to make him the guy from the second they drafted him at 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. One of the big reasons why McCarthy was the guy was due to his mentality and process on an overall level.

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J.J. McCarthy mentality sets him apart

When you listen to McCarthy and watch him go about his business on the field, you can tell that he's different. One of the interesting elements about McCarthy that stand out is his how successful every team he's played on has been. McCarthy won a national championship in high school at IMG Academy and in college at Michigan.

Now, you can't guarantee that McCarthy is going to bring a Super Bowl to the Vikings for that reason, but head coach Kevin O'Connell thinks you shouldn't discount it.

"I would not discount the fact that whatever team he's been on tends to be a good version of himself on game day. And there are a lot of guys who are talented. There are a lot of guys that can light up the practice field every day, but the guys that can either take it to the game or maybe even be a better version of themselves in the game, the gamer, whatever tag you want to put on it. I think he's got that trait," O'Connell explained. "I think it's important he doesn't just solely rely on that trait showing up at Soldier Field. I think he's going to pair that with the work that he puts in throughout the week so that he's comfortable. . ."

"It's going to be his first start, you know, in the NFL, I'm very much aware of that. He's aware of that. We're all aware of that and but that doesn't mean we put a ceiling over him. And at the same time, that doesn't mean, because of all that success throughout his football journey, we raised the floor either. It's I want him focusing on the little details of doing his job against a really good defense. We're going to make some plays. They're going to make some plays the ebbs and flows of the game. It's on to the next snap and start banking some of this experience and using it for your benefit moving forward."

O'Connell mentions in the above quote that the elements of practice and being a gamer are very interesting. McCarthy's development was tabbed last year with the slogan "the process is the progress." It's about how you do it and the results will come. Throughout the offseason, it was evident how good the process was becoming in many facets, and now it's time to make it happen on gameday.

The other fascinating element with McCarthy's mentality stems from his approach to his first start. It's at Soldier Field, 30 minutes from where he grew up. That could easily impact him in general, especially with his first start. His answer after practice on Wednesday takes that worry away.