Former Vikings legend on J.J. McCarthy: 'Tough kid, makes all the throws'

An all-time passing holder for the Minnesota Vikings had some thoughts on J.J. McCarthy's development.

Trent Knoop | Jul 19, 2024

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy points down the field during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former Minnesota quarterback Brad Johnson knows a thing or two about being a QB in the NFL. Johnson, a 15-year pro, had two different stints with the Vikings. He started his career with Minnesota and played for the Vikings from 1994-1998 before being traded to Washington. He won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002 before heading back to Minnesota from 2005-06. Johnson has the sixth-most passing yards in Vikings' history with 11,098 passing yards.

He was recently on Minnesota Tim's Podcast, and he was asked about the new Minnesota quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. The former Michigan signal caller was 27-1 as the starting quarterback, led the Wolverines to two-straight Big Ten titles, and won the National Championship in 2024. Johnson doubled down on McCarthy's winning ways. He also made it a point to emphasize McCarthy played under Jim Harbaugh and was well taught from that standpoint.

"The kids only had success in his life," started Johnson. "From high school through college -- tough kid, makes all the throws. He's still young and he has a chance to have a long, long career. So I'm excited for J.J. McCarthy and his opportunity to play at this level and to play for the Vikings. If I had a choice last year in the draft, like where I wanted to go, it would've been the Minnesota Vikings. So I think J.J.'s in a great situation. He can learn from extremely great coaches and have some players in that QB room that have had that experience also that have played. He can kind of be ready for when his time comes. He's been well taught with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. You win a national championship -- you've gone through something. But he's still young and got to give him time to grow. It's going to be fun to watch his career."

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State lost 30-24. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

As Johnson mentioned, McCarthy was drafted into a perfect situation with the Vikings. Minnesota might've signed Sam Darnold this offseason with all intentions of starting him this year and allowing McCarthy to sit and learn. But that's not in McCarthy's DNA. He's going to fight and be ready for when No. 9 is called into the game. He will have an abundance of talent around him with the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. Head coach Kevin O'Connell is one of the most quarterback-friendly coaches in the league and will help McCarthy grow as a quarterback.

Most Michigan fans aren't happy McCarthy is playing against the Detroit Lions twice a year, but at the same time, be happy that McCarthy landed in one of the most perfect spots for his development. If the Vikings and O'Connell were able to make the offense move with Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall last year when Kirk Cousins went down -- imagine what they can do with McCarthy's skill set.

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