The Minnesota Vikings may have a serious issue at quarterback, which has been evident on the field. However, one prominent analyst of the franchise sees similarly problematic trends happening outside the lines.
Paul Allen of KFAN hosted Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell on the Tuesday, December 9 edition of his show and brought up then belittled JJ McCarthy’s game-day persona, which the quarterback refers to as “Nine.”
“After the Lions game, okay, you win and you get that alter-ego thing in the locker room. And somebody asked me about it a couple of days after, and I’m like, ‘The Nine bit sucks,’” Allen said. “If he wants to go with it for the rest of his career, go ahead. I don’t like it. It’s not who he is from the McCarthy that I’ve gotten to know.”
O’Connell offered a response that listeners could have received in a couple different ways.
“You better have confidence, and you better have a comfort in who you are to be in certain roles,” O’Connell said. “All I’ve asked JJ to do is just be authentically himself.”
Kevin O’Connell Accused of Prodding JJ McCarthy on Multiple Occasions
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
An observer can certainly interpret O’Connell’s message as one of support for McCarthy, more or less saying that he doesn’t care about alternate personas or how guys build themselves up pregame or present themselves as players to the media.
Instead, all the head coach wants is for his QB to be himself and own that, whatever that means, because that is what is required of a locker room leader in the NFL.
But Phil Mackey of SKOR North took O’Connell’s comments the opposite way.
“It’s fascinating how frequently Kevin O’Connell has publicly poked at JJ McCarthy this season — a QB he (supposedly) green-lit in the 2024 draft,” Mackey posted to X Tuesday. “Here’s an incomplete list of things KO has publicly poked or criticized McCarthy for: Missing Thursday practice for birth of child; Footwork + mechanics; The ‘Nine’ alter-ego comment; Difficulty handling KO’s full system.”
“Even if any or all of these things warrant poking, it’s an interesting choice from a leadership perspective to publicly call them out,” Mackey continued. “Unless you’re trying to create separation strategically.”
JJ McCarthy Could Face Real Competition for Starting QB Job Next Year
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy (left) and head coach Kevin O’Connell (right).
The only reason for O’Connell to attempt to “create separation,” as Mackey referred to it, would be if he and/or the organization as a whole is trying to lay the foundation for moving on from the 22-year-old quarterback just two years after selecting him No. 10 overall in the 2024 draft.
NFL insiders such as ESPN’s Bill Barnwell and SI’s Albert Breer have both written recently that the Vikings are all but certain to acquire a veteran quarterback as a failsafe behind McCarthy heading into 2026. Barnwell went as far as to suggest on December 3 that Minnesota may pursue the type of talent who could win the QB1 job longterm and relegate McCarthy to a backup role.
McCarthy put up the best game of his career in a 31-0 blowout of the Washington Commanders in Week 14, throwing for 163 yards and three touchdowns, which buys him a bit more good will after winning on the road against the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions earlier this year.
With just seven starts in his career (3-4) compared to 24 games missed with injury (regular season and postseason), how McCarthy finishes the 2025 campaign could determine his status heading into next season.
It is at that point when Minnesota’s actions regarding the young QB will determine the veracity of Mackey’s interpretation — that O’Connell is potentially setting the table to move on from McCarthy faster than anyone might have guessed.
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