It hasn’t been a particularly great year for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but his star receiver is keeping the faith. Justin Jefferson gave McCarthy a vote of confidence Wednesday, saying the second-year quarterback is still getting acclimated to the NFL, according to ESPN.
Jefferson pointed out that this is essentially McCarthy’s rookie season after he missed 2024 due to a knee injury. Because of that, it’s going to take time for McCarthy to adjust to the game, according to Jefferson.
“It’s early,” Jefferson said. “He’s new to the game. He’s new to the NFL. He’s learning just like everyone else has to learn as a rookie, and he obviously had to go through the mental stage of having to overcome an injury the first year. So just a tough transition for him. But I feel like just him learning these past couple games, and of course learning [during] the stretch of this season, I feel like he’s going to bounce back in a different way than everybody else is going to think so.”
McCarthy’s transition has been rough. Through six games, the second-year pro has thrown six touchdowns against 10 interceptions. His 54.1 completion percentage and 5.8 yards per attempt are both among the worst in the NFL.
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McCarthy hasn’t had much stability after being drafted by the Vikings with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While early training camp reports were encouraging, McCarthy injured his knee, missing his entire rookie season after undergoing multiple surgeries.
With Sam Darnold leaving in free agency, McCarthy assumed the role of the Vikings’ starter heading into his second season. That hasn’t been smooth. McCarthy sustained an ankle injury in Week 2, forcing him to miss five games. With the Vikings preparing to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, McCarthy finds himself in the NFL concussion protocol. He got in a limited practice Wednesday, which is perhaps a sign he will be ready to play by Sunday.
While it’s too early to make any definitive statements about McCarthy’s NFL future, his rookie-year injury puts more pressure on the second-year pro to turn things around quickly. Barring a massive turnaround, the Vikings will likely head into McCarthy’s third year unsure whether he can be the team’s future at the position.
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That’s rarely a good sign, and the Vikings could be forced to address the position much sooner than expected if McCarthy doesn’t show something down the stretch.
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