Vikings are among most anticipated week 1 teams to watch and it's easy to see why

J.J. McCarthy debut is very anticipated

The one player that everyone wants to see is quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is going to be a first-time starter in the league. NFL.com released their most anticipated week one debuts, and former quarterback Derek Carr mentioned the Vikings first, thanks to McCarthy.

The Vikings are one of the teams with a new starting quarterback this year after they let Sam Darnold walk in free agency, opening the door for J.J. McCarthy. The second-year pro missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and has received nothing but praise from head coach Kevin O'Connell as he works toward his return to the field. McCarthy is the perfect signal-caller for O'Connell's scheme because of his mobility, processing ability and accuracy. Of course, it helps that the Vikings did some major work on the offensive line to make him feel more comfortable. McCarthy is set up to succeed in an offense full of big-time playmakers, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones. 

Carr mentions that head coach Kevin O'Connell has had nothing but praise for McCarthy, which is important. It's something that many haven't mentioned over the course of the offseason, mainly because McCarthy hasn't been named the starting quarterback.

That aspect fueled a lot of the Aaron Rodgers discussion over the month of March. The reality is they don't want to give McCarthy the starting job without having him earn it. Sure, it might be a sham competition, but it's a big thing for O'Connell to make him earn it.

McCarthy's arm talent in O'Connell's offense could change everything for the Vikings both short and long-term.