Peyton Manning, Eli Manning Have Words for J.J. McCarthy After Crucial Mistake Against Bears

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 10:57 PM ET

One of the biggest storylines heading into Monday’s rivalry clash between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings is the matchup between two of the most highly touted young quarterbacks in the league.

Caleb Williams got off to a hot start after leading the Bears to a touchdown in their very first drive, going 6-for-6 passing for 51 yards.

The same cannot be said for rookie J.J. McCarthy, though, who just wasn’t at the same level as his counterpart, at least in the first three quarters of action.

McCarthy, Minnesota’s 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, made his highly anticipated NFL debut on Monday after missing his rookie year last season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. The former Michigan star, however, ended up committing a crucial error early in the first half after his pass was intercepted by Bears cornerback Nashon Wright, who reeled in a 74-yard pick-six.

NFL legends Peyton Manning and Eli Manning were providing coverage for the game in their ManningCast show as part of ESPN’s coverage of “Monday Night Football.” The brothers had some words for McCarthy after the youngster’s crucial mistake.

"He can't throw it if that [cornerback] doesn't back up," Peyton Manning said.

"Something just looks off right there. ... When you're throwing late to the sidelines, bad things happen," Eli Manning said.

Peyton and Eli break down this Bears pick-six on J.J. McCarthy @OmahaProd pic.twitter.com/l424s2T4EM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 9, 2025

The Mannings provided their technical analysis of McCarthy’s mistake as they explained what went wrong for Minnesota in the crucial play. Peyton Manning then pointed out that the young QB will need to get more accustomed to playing alongside star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

"They haven't played together," Peyton Manning said. "Jefferson missed some time in training camp. Jefferson's been a real pro. He's been in the offseason program.

“[Head coach Kevin O'Connell] said he's in the huddle with J.J. during training camp. ... I love all that, but nothing like game reps. They'll learn from that."

It did not take long for Minnesota’s McCarthy-Jefferson duo to make up for the third-quarter error. McCarthy scored his first NFL touchdown after hitting Jefferson with a 13-yard TD pass at the 12:13 mark of the final period.

The Vikings missed the two-point attempt, though, which resulted in the Bears maintaining a 17-12 lead in the fourth.

McCarthy was at it again a few minutes later, scoring another fourth-quarter TD. This time around, he found Aaron Jones for a 27-yard touchdown. Minnesota made no mistake with its two-point attempt, which gave them a 20-17 lead with 9:46 remaining in the game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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