Randy Moss wants J.J. McCarthy starting Week 1 for Vikings: 'He needs to be out there'

Moss said that in his era, all the top draft picks played right away.

Jan 17, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Randy Moss on the ESPN Monday Night Countdown set before a NFC Wild Card playoff football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings legend Randy Moss believes rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy should be starting in Week 1 for Minnesota this September. Moss told Kay Adams on her Up & Adams show that in his era, everybody drafted in the first three rounds played right away.

"I don't want to see J.J. McCarthy at all this year," Adams said. "Why not?" Moss replied. "Because I just feel like the best thing is for him to sit, learn — because that means Sam Darnold is doing a good job," Adams explained.

"My thing is, when we played, the first three guys that (were) drafted, they're playing," said Moss, the Hall of Fame receiver who was drafted by the Vikings in 1998. "There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Now the fourth, fifth, and sixth round, we'll see, they may or may not see the field, maybe a special teamer. First three rounds, back then, we played. Now you're drafting guys first round, they're not even seeing the field. So you ask me the question, (McCarthy), I don't care if he's not ready, he needs to be out there."

.@RandyMoss on whether or not no. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy should start Week 1... 👀

"I don't care if he's not ready he needs to be out there." @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/mgdR9HpaqD

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 15, 2024

Moss's opinion comes from his own personal experiences of playing in the NFL in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s. But although the idea of sitting a highly-drafted quarterback early in his career has become more commonplace in recent years, it isn't a new one. Moss was playing when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005 and sat him behind Brett Favre for three years. That turned out pretty well for Green Bay.

Ultimately, the Vikings have made it very clear that they're going to do what's best for McCarthy and his development. The No. 10 overall pick out of Michigan will have the opportunity to compete for the job in training camp and prove that he's ready to start right away. However, it has always felt like the most likely outcome is that the 21-year-old won't be the Week 1 starter. The Vikings signed Darnold as their bridge quarterback this offseason so they don't have to put McCarthy on the field before he's ready and risk messing up his development.

There's validity to the theory that players benefit most from being thrust into game reps. Some quarterbacks, like Houston's C.J. Stroud last year, are ready to thrive from the outset. There's also validity to the theory that young QBs can benefit from sitting and learning and only playing when they're ready. The Packers have done it again with Jordan Love, who sat behind Rodgers for three years before exploding onto the scene last season.

All Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings can do with McCarthy is monitor him closely during training camp and make the decision they feel is best for his future.