The Minnesota Vikings (7-8) clearly didn’t get what they wanted from second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy this season, as the team currently has a losing record and is already out of the playoff mix.
Part of the problem, perhaps the biggest part, for McCarthy in Minnesota was simply his inability to stay on the field. After missing his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury, McCarthy sat out five games in 2025 with a high-ankle sprain, missed another contest due to a concussion and will sit out the team’s Christmas Day matchup with the Detroit Lions due to a hairline fracture in his throwing hand — an injury that may also cost him Week 18 against the Green Bay Packers.
Of course, McCarthy had moments as well. He put away the Chicago Bears and Lions on the road in divisional games earlier this season and produced solid outings in back-to-back victories over the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 15 and 16, respectively.
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All that said, McCarthy’s development this year and viability for the season to come became the most important element of the 2025 campaign once it was clear that the 22-year-old signal-caller was not going to be able to replicate the success that quarterback Sam Darnold had with what was arguably a lesser roster in 2024, when the Vikings went 14-3 and made the playoffs.
Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gave a radio interview to KFAN’s Paul Allen on Tuesday, December 23 and offered a candid take on how he currently views McCarthy, the GM’s No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. As part of his answer, Adofo-Mensah offered a fairly clear picture of McCarthy’s immediate future with the franchise.
“There’s just been growth moments,” Adofo-Mensah said. “A lot of young quarterbacks, when they get pressure in their face, they’re trying to bail out the back. He’s very good about getting up in the pocket either to make scrambles or make good decisions.”
“It’s about being Clark Kent [and] Superman,” Adofo-Mensah continued. “I think that we’re seeing him put the cape on a couple times, three times, four times a game — but also do the Clark Kent things, the boring things that really just matriculate offensive football down the field. So those are the things that I’m really excited to see. And then just the preparation, showing up a week of practice, getting the game plan, doing all those great things. Being there for his team is really exciting to see.”
Minnesota is likely to bring in a veteran QB as insurance against more McCarthy injuries in 2026. The Vikings could potentially even make a move for an established signal-caller of some type who can compete with McCarthy for the longterm starting job.
But it is fairly clear from Adofo-Mensah’s commentary on McCarthy that the Vikings intend to give him a legitimate chance to retain the QB1 role and continue his development through Year 3 of his professional career. How long that chance lasts if McCarthy gets hurt again and/or struggles mightily at any point next season potentially represents the organization’s next major pivot point.
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