The page has turned for J.J. McCarthy in his journey as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback, and head coach Kevin O’Connell made that clear on Wednesday.
O’Connell’s comments piqued interest with his tone on his hand-picked second-year QB.
McCarthy, the 10th overall pick of the 2024 draft, whom the Vikings traded up to take, missed their Week 13 loss against the Seattle Seahawks but is expected back in Week 14 against the Washington Commanders.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Issues Clear Notice on J.J. McCarthy
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on against the Chicago Bears.
McCarthy has been historically bad this season, leading to a slew of criticisms about him, O’Connell, and Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah over the process that led the organization to their predicament. The 22-year-old is the youngest starter in the NFL this season.
However, O’Connell was clear that there is no more time for McCarthy to receive the benefit of the doubt as far as the basics. Now, he must execute better as the Vikings expect and require.
He wants his young QB to “just make the throws.”
O’Connell relayed his message to McCarthy that now, “It’s purely about decision making at this point. And there’ll be time to ultimately fundamentally focus on things and continue building kind of this layer of a foundation that will be important for him in the future.
“It feels like he’s got enough experience. He kind of knows a lot of these principles that we’ve talked about. I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play, but play with an understanding of, ‘The decisions that I make with the ball in my hand, the decisions that I make as a passer, and’ – as we’ve learned, very important – ‘as a runner’ to protect himself and make sure that we can keep him in there, all of those things have to be of the utmost importance.”
McCarthy has 929 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on 54.1% completion this season.
He added value as a runner, with 120 yards and 2 TDs on 23 carries, though he has but two attempts for 10 yards over Weeks 11 and 12.
McCarthy missed Week 13 with a concussion, leaving the Vikings with rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer as QB1, and the results were much the same. The Vikings’ investment in McCarthy dictates the current regime’s need for the youngster to pan out.
The Vikings have lost four straight games and six of their last seven outings.
Vikings Questioned Over Latest QB Decision
GettyDesmond Ridder #10 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on against the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite seeing what McCarthy and, now, Brosmer have to offer, the Vikings opted to make a questionable decision with another QB. Their announcement that they released Desmond Ridder from the practice squad drew attention, again negatively.
“Think about the Vikings’ QB situation,” football data analyst Ben Baldwin posted on X on December 2. “Think about what we saw on Sunday.
“And then read this tweet.”
Ridder is a journeyman, having spent time with five teams in three-plus seasons in the NFL. A third-round pick, he was the No. 74 overall selection by the Atlanta Falcons and is 8-10 as a starter.
However, his career line (4,002 yards, 16 TDs, 14 INTs on 63.6% completion) bests what McCarthy has shown this season. Brosmer had a 168-0-4 line on 63.2% completion in Week 13.
The Vikings have big issues to resolve at quarterback, and McCarthy remains their best hope.
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