Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy reintroduced himself to reporters on Tuesday by throwing passes on the practice field and answering questions at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn.
Wearing a wide smile that spanned ear to ear, McCarthy was quick with a response when asked if he was ready to start the 2025 season after missing his rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.
“I know I’m ready to start,” McCarthy said.
“Because all the work I’ve put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and just being able to do my job, simplify things to the best of my ability every single day and you know just take it one day at a time, one play at a time. I have a tremendous coaching staff, a tremendous group of guys around me that I can lean on and they can lean on me.”
McCarthy also addressed his changing body, which he says is back up to 215 pounds after dipping down to the high-180s when he wasn’t able to work out.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters last week that McCarthy is at an advantage from having learned the team’s systems “in a classroom setting” up to this point. McCarthy agreed with that assessment on Tuesday.
“The whole process has been a unique one. I haven’t had an injury like this that has sat me for so long,” he said. “I was very grateful for the opportunity that I had to really get a head start of the mental side of the game. … Really getting on the same page with (O’Connell) has been awesome.”
McCarthy noted that while he heard the constant chatter involving the potential addition of Aaron Rodgers, the 22-year-old said he was just focused on the task at hand.
“Obviously (I) respect Aaron Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, but all I was focusing on was that day-to-day task,” he said. “What I was doing here, what I was doing at home to kind of making myself the best overall player that I can.”
The Vikings moved on from 2024 starting quarterback Sam Darnold, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency after a surprise season in Minnesota.
The other quarterbacks on the Minnesota roster are newly acquired Sam Howell, veteran Brett Rypien and undrafted free agent Max Brosmer.
The Vikings selected McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 draft after he won a national championship at Michigan. He underwent knee surgery in mid-August after playing in the Vikings’ preseason opener.
