Minnesota Vikings Legend Shares Major Endorsement for Rookie QB J.J. McCarthy

A Minnesota Vikings legend by the name of Randy Moss has endorsed J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.

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

The Minnesota Vikings made the decision to draft former Michigan Wolverines star quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After leading his team to a National Championship last season and being a top NIL earner in college football, a new challenge has arrived.

Looking back at his college career, McCarthy built a successful life for himself both on and off the field. On3 ranked him as the No. 7 NIL earner in college football with a massive NIL valuation of $1.6 million.

He also put up big individual numbers on the field and won a National Championship last year as previously mentioned. In his three years at Michigan, McCarthy racked up 6,226 passing yards to go along with 49 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Now, he's in a quarterback battle with Sam Darnold for the starting job with the Vikings.

While Darnold is widely expected to be the Week 1 starter, a Minnesota legend spoke out and gave the rookie quarterback his endorsement to open the season as the starter. That legend is none other than Randy Moss.

“Now, we’re drafting guys in the 1st Round, and they’re not even seeing the field. To answer your question — I don’t care if he’s not ready. He needs to be out there. Week 1."

That is a very bold take. Throwing a rookie quarterback out on the field too early can be extremely detrimental to development. Sometimes, letting a quarterback sit behind a veteran for a year or two can be the best course of action.

A clear sign of waiting to play a rookie can be seen with the division rival Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love sat the first few years of his career behind Aaron Rodgers and now look to be a budding superstar.

It will be interesting to see what head coach Kevin O'Connell and Minnesota end up doing with McCarthy. More than likely, he'll start the season on the bench, but if Darnold struggles as the starter early on it would be reasonable to give the rookie a shot.

Receiving the endorsement of a superstar like Moss is a big deal. McCarthy offers star potential at the NFL level.

However, the Vikings cannot afford to mess up in this situation. McCarthy is the face of the future in Minnesota and they need to bring him along at a pace that fits the young signal caller.