The Minnesota Vikings secured a 23-10 win over the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day. However, the Vikings secured their fourth straight win without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Rookie backup Max Brosmer took over the starting job against the Lions, going 9-for-16 on his pass attempts for 51 passing yards and was sacked seven times. Nonetheless, he didn’t turn the ball over for Minnesota.
After the win, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked whether McCarthy would be ready for the final game of the 2025 NFL season. O’Connell was optimistic, but didn’t give any guarantees that the second-year quarterback could play against the Green Bay Packers to end his campaign on a positive note.
“He’s doing well,” O’Connell told reporters after the win on December 25. “He’s doing well with the extra time until next week. We’ll see if it all comes down to just grip strength and his ability to grip the football and throw it. I would obviously love to have him get one more opportunity this year.
“But at the same time, Max is clearly learning what it takes to win games, and you have to play it differently, maybe depending on the night and how it goes. I look forward to seeing how J.J. progresses early in the week, and we’ll see if we can have him next week.”
Vikings Appear Confident in J.J. McCarthy
Whether or not McCarthy plays in the final game of the season, the Vikings’ general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, recently stated words that indicate that the front office is backing the Michigan product heading into the offseason.
Understanding that this season was Year 1 as a starter, Adofo-Mensah noted the traits McCarthy is displaying, which is why they might be confident in the direction the player is headed.
“There’s just been growth moments,“ Adofo-Mensah said during the December 23 edition of “X’s and O’s with Kevin O’Connell.” “I try and make sure that my dialogue with him is incredibly positive because, if you think about this world, you got the external world who’s always going to be negative, and then you’ve got coaching, who are going to be positive, but they’re also going to coach them.
“I try and always make sure I’m highlighting, ‘Hey man, this is a great thing that I’m seeing you’re doing.‘ Things like playing really up in the pocket. A lot of young quarterbacks, when they get pressure in their face, they’re trying to bail out the back. He’s very good about getting up in the pocket either to make scrambles or make good decisions.”
J.J. McCarthy Gets Superman Take From Vikings GM
Moreover, Adofo-Mensah made a unique analogy to describe what he sees in McCarthy, suggesting the team likely wants him as their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future.
“You’re seeing the plays where, quarterback position to me, to a person who’s maybe not an expert, just kind of an evaluator and kind of a big picture thinker about it,“ Adofo-Mensah added. “It’s about being Clark Kent [and] Superman. How many times are you going to put the cape on, but sometimes you just need to keep the glasses on and be that guy and kind of do those things? That’s the balance these have because the great ones are wired to want to put the cape on all the time.
“I think that we’re seeing him put the cape on a couple times, three times, four times a game, but also do the Clark Kent things, the boring things that really just metriculate offensive football down the field. So those are the things that I’m really excited to see. And then just the preparation, showing up a week of practice, getting the game plan, doing all those great things. Being there for his team is really exciting to see.”
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