Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy isn’t technically a rookie because he was drafted in 2024, but he’s effectively one after missing his rookie season with a knee injury.
McCarthy had surgery on his knee last August and he was competing with Sam Darnold prior to his injury, so this camp is McCarthy’s first as the clear leader of the offense. Quarterbacks in that position often struggle when facing starting defenses and McCarthy has done his share of that since camp opened last week.
On Wednesday, McCarthy said he’s welcoming those tough moments as a chance to make up for the time he lost last year.
“Not having those reps last year, that’s something you miss out on when you take a substantial amount of time off from throwing the football,” McCarthy said, via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “You got to find that touch again. There was a lot of throws in OTAs where I felt I could’ve had a better outcome if I had that touch. Just learning from failures and trying to get better. . . . Those periods where they really get you, I feel like that’s where we learn the most about ourselves and our offense.”
Training camp practices are the time for growing pains that pay off when other teams are on the other side of the ball. The Vikings get their first chance to play a game next week and McCarthy’s progress will be a major storyline if he’s on the field for the preseason opener.
