Vikings Have One Critical Question Surrounding J.J. McCarthy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Anthony Miller | Last updated May 5, 2025 4:15 PM ET

The media have not been so kind to Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy with questions about his readiness to start.

After recovering from his torn meniscus injury last year, McCarthy addressed the media last week to ensure that he is ready to be Minnesota's franchise quarterback. Despite his deceleration, there is much uncertainty about the quarterback who hasn’t taken a snap in a regular-season game.

McCarthy's ability to play has become a massive topic of discussion in the media. It took another step forward with CBS Sports's Cody Benjamin asking one specific question about McCarthy.

In his article on Monday, Benjamin shared one question he had with each NFL team entering the 2025 season. His question regarding the Vikings was all about McCarthy and what he has to showcase to fans on the field.

“What does J.J. McCarthy have in him? The second-year quarterback should have one of the NFL's most favorable setups, inheriting a restocked line and electric pass-catching corps. Still, he's 22 with zero actual NFL experience, and Vikings fans watched Sam Darnold win 14 games a year ago. The bar is actually quite high for such a young leader.”

The former 2024 first-round pick played in one preseason game in which he threw 188 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. He missed the whole season due to his torn meniscus, with Sam Darnold taking over as the starter.

McCarthy no longer must worry about Darnold, as he signed with the Seattle Seahawks, and his other competition, Daniel Jones, signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Minnesota currently has Brett Rypien, Sam Howell, and Max Brosmer as the quarterbacks behind McCarthy.

There are no signs of the Vikings looking to bring in anyone else at quarterback despite being tied to Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins during the offseason. This is McCarthy’s team, and he will have his moment to prove to all the doubters that he can play.

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

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