For the first time since August, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was seen by media members throwing passes on the field with his teammates.
It was a monumental day for the 22-year-old quarterback who suffered a meniscus tear last summer and had his rookie season shut down due to injury.
Inheriting an overhauled roster that welcomes 14 incoming free agents to the tune of over $300 million in new contracts, the pressure is on McCarthy to lead the team back to the playoffs after a surprising 14-win season with Sam Darnold.
Asked if he thinks he is ready to start following a lengthy recovery, McCarthy offered a blunt rebuttal.
“I know I’m ready to start,” he told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert on April 29.
Vikings Veterans Rally Behind McCarthy
GettyVikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy throwing during a preseason game warmup
The Tuesday following the NFL Draft represented a come-back parade for McCarthy, who drew the praise of his veteran teammates in his first practice back with them.
“The energy he brings to the building every day is infectious. You can tell he wants it really bad,” Pro Bowl left tackle Brian O’Neill said. “He does all the right things.”
Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said that the entire team is “standing 10 toes” with McCarthy.
“We’re all behind him,” Greenard added.
Earlier in the offseason, Harrison Smith also touted a deep respect for McCarthy despite being 14 years his elder.
From Smith, per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis:
He’s a guy I enjoy being around a lot. He’s his own person. He speaks his mind. He has his own way of thinking about things. Very smart. Very invested in football and winning and competing. Football-wise, he’s tremendously talented. He was doing a lot of good things in training camp last year, in my opinion, as a guy going against him. But just being around him, obviously, it’s a tough position to be a high pick, and things look like they’re going well, and the season is gone. That’s a whole different struggle or whatever it is to overcome. But I’ve been fortunate to spend some time with him. Got to play golf with him in Mexico. We had a good time. He hit some great shots. I enjoy my time with him. He’s an interesting fellow, and I think he’s a little smarter beyond his years.
McCarthy has shown a mental maturity that has won over his elder teammates since he arrived in Minnesota a year ago. After months of reports that he had dropped weight during his recovery process, McCarthy said he weighed under 190 pounds but his back up to 215 pounds — casting out any doubts of his physical readiness for the season.
Vikings Send Locker Room Strong 3-Word Message Entering 2025 Season
As veterans are arriving for voluntary offseason workouts, the Vikings sent the locker room a loaded message now that their offseason overhaul of the roster is complete.
According to Lewis, the Vikings hung t-shirts at every player’s locker with the message: “More is required.”
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