Progress with a rookie quarterback often comes in fits and starts. It’s not always linear. Sometimes, their first preseason drive ends in an interception, and sometimes, they end up being rookie of the year anyway. Just ask Houston Texans fans.
J.J. McCarthy began his preseason debut 1 for 3 for 19 yards with a fairly egregious interception. It wasn’t pretty, and rival fanbases already got their jollies on Twitter at our expense. I could just sense the chorus of Chicago Bears fans about to hit send on tweets akin to LOL, The Vikings drafted Christian Ponder 2.0. And while that would’ve been hyperbole at our expense, the rookie did look a bit overwhelmed by the speed of the game in the beginning. Completely reasonable given the circumstances, but plays like this are still not ideal.
Shortly after that play, though, things started to settle in a bit.
McCarthy surprised and flashed a few NFL-level throws, layering in balls between defenders with nice velocity. He managed the offense well, orchestrating a drive resulting in a Kene Nwangwu touchdown. McCarthy started to gain some confidence and shook off his rookie jitters. He wasn’t so nervous anymore; he was just playing ball like he’d been doing his whole life. And if you know anything about McCarthy’s track record, he’s been playing ball his entire life at a high level.
And what do you know? Turns out J.J. McCarthy can throw deep and throw to his left. Even on the same play!
In the clip above, Justin Jefferson was a perfect embodiment of the Vikings fanbase. The vibes were immaculate. And if you want to point out that McCarthy did that once some of the Las Vegas Raiders second team was in the game, that’s a valid point — but take that valid point elsewhere. No one wants that kind of level-headed pragmatism in a time like this; let people enjoy their overreactions.
Especially when it was only a few minutes later McCarthy returned with another strike to a wide-open Trent Sherfield. Yes, Sherfield was wide open, but McCarthy did exactly what he was supposed to and delivered a perfect ball.
It wasn’t just the touchdown throws, either. McCarthy showed poise, delivered passes with pressure in his face, and flashed impressive mobility. The arm talent was apparent, and he bounced back from his early struggles nicely. McCarthy checked a lot of boxes and resoundingly shut up the haters. Most of the rookie QBs across the league had the luxury of an opportunity against the opposition’s second team, and an easy argument could be made that McCarthy was the most impressive of the bunch.
I wrote earlier this summer about how this season’s success will largely be defined by whether we see a proof of concept that the Vikings have found their franchise quarterback. It was only the first preseason game, and McCarthy still has plenty to work on before he’s anointed the franchise savior. But from his fourth throw of the night until his 17th pass, McCarthy provided about as much evidence for positivity as he possibly could have. Vikings fans have every reason to feel hopeful about the future of the quarterback position.
Now, it’s up to McCarthy to continue on his current trajectory. Sam Darnold may have been signed as the presumptive starter to begin the season, and he also had some nice reps against the Raiders. However, Darnold could find himself in a Matt Flynn situation if McCarthy continues to build off this performance and stack quality reps like he did tonight. The Vikings appear to be in no rush to throw McCarthy into action prematurely. However, if the kid keeps delivering, he could force the issue.
Either way, I’d encourage the fanbase to enjoy the moment. It’s been a long time since this franchise had a reason to be excited about a young passer like this, and the rookie is growing up before our eyes. You owe it to yourself to crank up the highlights tonight and enjoy the ride.
I’m sorry, but if that didn’t make you smile, then you’re dead inside.
