J.J. McCarthy shuts down his arm strength critics with one brutal quote

Even after co-host Jason McIntyre tried to question his anti-McCarthy narrative, Cowherd stuck to his guns.

"No, go read the [scouting reports], he doesn't have a big arm. He does not have a big arm. His arm is considered modest. It is a middle-of-the-pack arm, middle-of-the-pack escapability. In fact, they question his release. His release, at times, can be a little plodding."

Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy offers perfect response to arm strength critics

On Thursday, McCarthy spoke to reporters after the Vikings wrapped up their final minicamp practice.

A few questions in, and after McCarthy offered a nuanced response to a question about how he thinks he's grown as a "pure thrower of the football" over the past year-plus, SKOR North's Judd Zulgad took the baton to ask McCarthy if he knew where the questions about his arm strength started. The reporter himself, and of course, he's not alone, doesn't see the issue.

Through a smile and a chuckle at the asking of the question and the start of his answer, as if he had seen Cowherd's comments from Wednesday, McCarthy gathered his thoughts and calmly gave a full response to Zulgad's question.

"That's a great question, Judd. I would say a lot of it just comes with the stigma of playing at Michigan, and not throwing the ball a lot.

But, at the same time, it could be my frame, and they don't see a 6-5, 240 guy, so how can he throw it 61 miles an hour at the combine, and all that. But at the end of the day, you know, it's gonna show up and the people that know 'know'.

...I think it's just the situations I've been in, and maybe not passing the eye test for some people."

McCarthy acknowledged the easy narrative that he must not be able to do certain things since he didn't have to throw the ball a lot in college. Then came the not-so veiled shot at Cowherd, and any others like him when he said "those who know 'know.'"