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The Vikings traded up to draft quarterback JJ McCarthy 10th overall with the idea that he would be their quarterback of the future.
Although McCarthy did not play as a rookie due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason, he could potentially become Minnesota’s starter as early as 2025.
The Vikings have some decisions to make at QB, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in his press conference Thursday that McCarthy is progressing well after tearing his meniscus.
“He’s on the field, throwing and training” Adofo-Mensah said, noting that he just saw McCarthy at the facility doing some on-field rehab. “It looks great. He is excited. You’re talking about a kid who is just obsessed with football and loves being in the game. So we’re excited about what we have in it. We’re excited about this offseason for him. It’s a big offseason. And then we’ll go from there.”
Although McCarthy didn’t play after the first preseason game, he was in the building all season and learned a lot, with Adofo-Mensah calling it “a great mental year.”
“It’s a redshirt year, but mentally, the process that they had, just in our exit meetings with him, just talking about how much he learned the year compared to other years in his football life, (it was) just exponential, which you you would expect a young player in this building,” said Adofo-Mensah. “So I think we’re really confident in him, his work ethic and his preparation.”
Does that mean the Vikings would be comfortable heading into the 2025 season with him as the starter?
“But I can’t sit here and tell you that I know something for sure,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I know I’m ready to believe in the person we have. The position is all about talent and preparation – and he has those things in spades. So if that’s the course of action we decide to take, we’ll go in there with confidence.”
