Tom Brady warns Vikings fans: Don’t expect too much from J.J. McCarthy in Year 1

Tom Brady thinks Vikings fans would be wise to temper expectations for J.J. McCarthy — at least for this season.

"They're expecting J.J. to come and play at that level that Sam did. But I think that's a lot to ask a young player. In my second year, I wasn't the same quarterback that I was in Year 7 or Year 8. I was way better in 2007 than when I was in 2001 when I took over," Brady told PFF's Cris Collinsworth.

"These years of development, they all add up and I think it's a bit unfair to create unrealistic expectations for a quarterback in his second year. But of course Minnesota Vikings fans are going to have those expectations because of how high of a pick he is. He's got a lot to prove."

Subscribe: Sign up for the free Vikings On SI newsletter

McCarthy will make his regular-season debut Monday night when the Vikings open the season against the Bears at Soldier Field. It'll be the first real look at McCarthy, who has been handed the keys to the franchise as a 22-year-old starting quarterback. Like Brady, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has cautioned expectations for McCarthy in Year 1.

"There's going to be some ups, there's going to be some downs," O'Connell said in July, later adding that "we drafted a player we hoped would hold himself to a standard that allows that arrow to stay pointed up regardless of the result, especially early on — because we're trying to build a player here that can sustain for a long time in Minnesota."

Brady expects O'Connell will cater the offense to the things McCarthy does well and then add to the 22-year-old's plate as the season progresses. Vikings fans will learn about how much he can handle in real time, but Brady thinks McCarthy has all the tools to be fantastic.

"Look, he won a national championship at Michigan. When you beat Ohio State like they did and they performed the way they did in those big moments, there's a lot of reasons to like the poise and composure, and certainly the physical abilities," Brady told Collinsworth.

"He's a really good passer of the football. He's got enough mobility to extend plays. He's a very grounded kid. I loved J.J. when he was playing for the Wolverines. Got drafted high to Minnesota and now he's got a chance to go prove himself.

"It really doesn't matter what Tom Brady thinks, or Cris Collinsworth, or anybody from the Minneapolis Tribune. It matters what J.J. thinks and what his teammates think of him."

McCarthy will have to block out the noise when he makes mistakes in games that matter. The good news is that he's already had plenty of practice, having had to endure the wild criticism from talking heads like Colin Cowherd, who has made it known that he doesn't believe in McCarthy and doubts he has the arm strength to be great in the NFL.

As Brady said, that's the kind of adversity McCarthy will need to overcome.

"I'm sure every game's not going to be three touchdowns, no interceptions," Brady reasoned.

"There's going to be a lot of ups and downs. In the NFL season, the one thing we do know is there's adversity every step of the way. There's losses, injuries, calls that don't go your way, matchups that don't go your way. You've gotta have a team with great leadership that's able to overcome whatever adversity you face."

Buckle up. The McCarthy ride is just getting started and nobody knows if it'll be smooth or bumpy.

More from Vikings On SI