Inside The Vikings

Analysts praise preseason debut of 'pro-ready' J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy threw a pair of touchdown passes in the Vikings' win over the Raiders.

Nolan O'Hara

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates his touchdown pass to wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. (11) against the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Aug. 10, 2024.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates his touchdown pass to wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. (11) against the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Aug. 10, 2024. / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

J.J. McCarthy’s debut in the Vikings’ 24-23 preseason victory over the Las Vegas Raiders Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is turning heads. 

McCarthy, who completed 11-of-17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and just one interception, certainly impressed in his first NFL action. McCarthy looked calm and composed, and while it’s unlikely it’ll move him past Sam Darnold on the depth chart as QB1, his debut was certainly an encouraging sign of what could be to come in the future from the 21-year-old rookie. 

McCarthy’s debut impressed several analysts, including former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, who now hosts a podcast for The Athletic. Daniel took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to praise McCarthy on several occasions. 

“J.J. McCarthy may have had THE best rookie QB debut,” Daniel said in one post. “This breakdown will be fun….dude can play.” 

“The 2 Rookie QB’s who look the most pro-ready thru the first week of preseason games & it’s not really close…. Caleb Williams & JJ McCarthy,” he said in another post. 

ESPN’s Louis Riddick took to X to troll those who have criticized McCarthy for some of his shortcomings, using his 45-yard touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson as an example. 

“He can’t throw outside the numbers to his left tho,” Riddick posted with an eye roll emoji. 

McCarthy’s touchdown pass to Jackson was among the top of his highlights, a perfectly-placed ball in the arms of the wide receiver streaking down the left sideline. McCarthy later found a wide-open Trent Sherfield Jr. for a 33-yard touchdown pass, a go-ahead score that put the Vikings up 21-20. Most impressive was how McCarthy rebounded after a bad interception on his first drive.

That in particular drew praise from coach Kevin O'Connell, who said there were a "lot of positives" in McCarthy's performance Saturday and a "lot of areas where we'll be able to hit the ground running."

Daniel argued McCarthy’s debut may have been the best out of any rookie quarterback, and the numbers nearly back that up. According to The Ringer’s Warren Sharp, McCarthy was the second-most efficient rookie quarterback in Week 1, and third overall, of the preseason behind the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams. McCarthy had 0.57 expected points added per dropback to Williams’ 0.97. 

While McCarthy likely will not be the Vikings’ Week 1 starter, his preseason performance would indicate he’s certainly close to being NFL ready. How the remainder of the preseason goes for the rookie quarterback will certainly be the top storyline to monitor as the season draws near. 

Published
Nolan O'Hara

NOLAN O'HARA

Home/News