Vikings' Justin Jefferson shares revealing thoughts about struggling J.J. McCarthy

The play of second-year Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy throughout the 2025 campaign has left some wondering if the club could look to land an upgrade at the position during the offseason. 

As ESPN's Kevin Seifert shared in a piece published on Friday morning, Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson isn't ready to give up on McCarthy just yet. 

Justin Jefferson defends J.J. McCarthy amid criticisms

"He's a great player," Jefferson recently said about McCarthy. "He's a great quarterback. He's a great kid. So at the end of the day, it's all about going out there and just relying on everybody to do their jobs and just going out there and just doing it. And of course, people get involved with the media, and you hear so much different negativity out in the world."

Aside from a few moments, McCarthy has yet to prove he's a top-tier player at the highest level. According to Pro Football Reference, he will enter this weekend ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 26.5 adjusted QBR, a 61.7 passer rating and a 52.9 percent completion percentage. Over his five career starts, he threw six touchdown passes and eight interceptions. 

McCarthy missed time this fall due to an ankle issue after he spent his rookie season recovering from a full meniscus repair.

"So I'm always going to be that person for J.J. to always lean on and talk to about any of that type of stuff, and I'm always going to be that person to motivate him to always continue to be better, regardless if he's my quarterback or not," Jefferson added about McCarthy.

Kevin O'Connell praises Justin Jefferson for support of J.J. McCarthy

The "or not" part of Jefferson's comments is notable, as recent reports have connected the Vikings with current San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones. For now, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell hopes that Jefferson can help McCarthy make a significant leap, with the 4-6 Vikings sitting outside the postseason in the NFC standings. 

"Justin is our franchise player," O'Connell recently said. "...I lean on him in many, many ways in regards to helping to shape and guide our football team, especially when you've got a young quarterback. He knows a lot of the factors that that can create throughout the ebbs and flows of the season, and he's been phenomenal."

Jefferson may need to be perfect for the Vikings to earn a win against the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) this Sunday. As of Friday morning, ESPN BET had Minnesota as a six-point underdog.