In 2024, Minnesota Vikings fans experienced a roller coaster of emotions.
They drafted former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and signed former Jets first-round draft bust Sam Darnold.
Then, McCarthy’s rookie year ended in the preseason with a knee injury, and fans wondered if Darnold could give the Vikings any life.
It turned out he could and led the organization to the postseason, leading to a rich contract with Seattle.
After briefly flirting with former Jet and Packer, Aaron Rodgers, Minnesota decided not to sign the sure-fire hall-of-famer and stick with McCarthy.
In a recent interview with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, analyst Kevin Clark asked O’Connell why he likes McCarthy.
“He was in a pro-style offense where they [Michigan] were running the football, they were marrying the run and the pass on early downs. They needed some high-quality executions on some of those weighty downs and that’s really where we’d like to be with our offense,” said O’Connell.
The coach also explained that he believes McCarthy was able to learn a lot by watching Darnold play at a high level this past year and observe how Darnold handled the nuances of the position.
“He’s been able to have a pseudo redshirt year, albeit without the reps we would have wanted. But I’m really confident and really excited to see him hit the ground running. He’s had a great offseason.”
McCarthy played well on a national champion team with the Wolverines and also took home awards such as first-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and Rose Bowl Offensive MVP in 2024 when he led Michigan to a victory against Alabama.
