The Minnesota Vikings had a quarterback conundrum heading into 2025. It turned out not to be a hard decision for the team. Despite Sam Darnold leading the team to a 14-3 record last season, the team decided to roll with former top-ten pick JJ McCarthy in 2025. It is a risk as McCarthy missed all of last season with a knee injury, but head coach Kevin O’Connell has proven he can coach quarterbacks effectively. Star tight end TJ Hockenson made a recent podcast appearance and compared the young quarterback to Matthew Stafford.
Minnesota Vikings’ JJ McCarthy Gets Compared To Stafford
Hockenson made an appearance on The Green Light Podcast with Chris Long and talked at length about the former Michigan quarterback. He praised his attitude and preparation, highlighting what he has seen in the recovery process from his season-ending knee injury. However, when he talked about his arm, Hockenson made the comparison to Stafford.
“His arm talent is there. He’s got a sick arm. I told him this the other day, I said I remember catching passes from [Matthew Stafford] and it’s one of those balls and it just zips on you. It looks like it’s not coming, but it’s coming — and J.J.’s got the juice behind it where it kind of has that effect. It doesn’t look like it’s coming, it’s a tight spiral, but it’s coming. It’s humming in the air. He’s got an insane talent, arm talent, and really the personality he has goes really well and I think he’s going to have a long career.”
Hockenson knows Stafford well. He spent his first three and a half seasons in Detroit catching passes from the former number one overall pick. JJ McCarthy didn’t pass often during his final season with the Wolverines, but when he did, he showed poise and accuracy. Now we will get to see whether it translates to the NFL.
Setting Up McCarthy For Success
The Minnesota Vikings’ offense is perfect for a young starting quarterback. Justin Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the league. Jordan Addison and Hockenson complement him. In the backfield, the team re-signed Aaron Jones, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season. If McCarthy can accurately throw the ball, his receivers should have no issue getting open for him.
Obviously, changing quarterbacks is a risk, but so was sticking with Darnold. He had a career year last season, and it remains to be seen whether he can follow it up. If the Minnesota Vikings had paid him, they would have risked a large portion of their salary cap. Now, the team has a rookie quarterback on a rookie deal. If he pans out, this team could be in contention for a Super Bowl for the rest of the decade.
Final Thoughts
The Minnesota Vikings hope JJ McCarthy is the answer at quarterback. They have always been able to figure out a serviceable option, but never one that could push them to a deep postseason run. Will McCarthy be the guy to do it?
