J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 10, 2024.
The Minnesota Vikings could have had their pick of any quarterback on the free-agent or trade markets.
But general manager Kwest Adofo-Mensah is confident in 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy’s ability, even though the second-year quarterback has never taken an NFL snap.
McCarthy, the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was competing for the Minnesota starting-quarterback role until he tore his meniscus in training camp. His injury opened the door for Sam Darnold to take the role, and Darnold went 14-3 and helped the Vikings reach the playoffs.
The Vikings have been linked to many quarterbacks this off-season, including Darnold and Aaron Rodgers, who signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday.
But Adofo-Mensah, and coach Kevin O’Connell, are confident sticking with McCarthy, at least for now.
Why Do The Vikings Trust J.J. McCarthy As The Starting Quarterback?
Adofo-Mensah was asked straight up how he can trust McCarthy to play quarterback for the Vikings.
“With J.J., the bet has always been the talent and the football makeup,” Adofo-Mensah told the Star-Tribune in a recent web interview. “The football makeup, to me, is that gap. Anything you think he can do but hasn’t shown, to me, the football character is what gives you belief to take that jump.
“The gap between what he’s been able to show, just because it’s been a small sample, but what is to come is our belief in [McCarthy’s] football makeup. He’s going to go home … and give every single thing he can to the accomplishment of our goals.”
That belief in McCarthy’s work ethic and commitment will help Adofo-Mensah be well rested instead of worrying about his quarterback.
“I can sleep at night with that,” he said. “I’m never going to regret going into battle with people like [McCarthy].
“He’s so coachable. You give him a coaching point, and he’s going to go home and make sure that coaching point is received.”
Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings will go into training camp with McCarthy backed up by Sam Howell and Brett Rypien. But where Minnesota has punted on quarterback depth, it still has its signature embarrassment of offensive riches in weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones and a great offensive line to protect him.
“How do we support J.J., well we put a really good offensive line in front of him to protect the passer and also so we can run the football and set us up in easier down and distances,” Adofo-Mensah said.
Adofo-Mensah also saw the trajectory McCarthy was on in 2024 before the injury cost him his rookie season.
“We had conversations about what we wanted for [McCarthy] for that year, and he started exceeding them very quickly,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We were pretty clear, publicly, that we didn’t want him to play, and he was pushing a little bit of becoming the backup or something like that.”
Plus, Adofo-Mensah saw how McCarthy did not sulk when he was injured.
“What was so amazing about the injury was how he handled it and the maturity of which he handled it,” Adofo-Mensah said.
What Are The Vikings’ Goals in 2025?
Despite starting a quarterback who has never played a down in the NFL, Adofo-Mensah has set an extremely high bar for what will make a successful season this year.
Adofo-Mensah’s belief also stems from O’Connell, who has a history of developing and executing reclamation projects like Darnold.
“I think we have the best QB incubator in the league,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I feel so confident about what is going to come out the other end.”
Perhaps what is angst-inducing to superstitious Vikings fans is how Adofo-Mensah does not shy away from stating his belief in their goals. Minnesota has not played in the Super Bowl since 1976 and has never won the title, but that won’t stop Adofo-Mensah from believing in his team’s ability to change both facts.
“We don’t hide our ambition’ that’s not something we do in this building,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We are trying to be one of the last teams standing. Every team should embrace that … otherwise why are we doing this?”
