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AIPROPX ReportCBS Sports · 2h ago
What happened to J.J. McCarthy? Looking back as it all unraveled in Minnesota for the former top 10 pick
In less than three years' time, J.J. McCarthy has gone from a celebrated Michigan Man to a man that just lost his job. On Tuesday, the Vikings announced that Kyler Murray won his position battle against McCarthy and will be Minnesota's starting quarterback.
The announcement is the latest in a series of setbacks for McCarthy since he helped lead Michigan to the school's first national title since 1997. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft , McCarthy has made just 10 starts for the Vikings, and while he did manage to win six of those starts, it clearly wasn't enough to convince Kevin O'Connell that he is the right person to lead Minnesota's offense moving forward.
Only 23, McCarthy's NFL career already seemingly appears to be on life support. It's worth revisiting how things got to this point so quickly for a player who -- despite his turbulent start -- still has plenty of time to turn things around, whether it's in Minnesota or somewhere else.
Michigan's championship season was scrutinized before, during and after the Wolverines captured the national title. In August 2025, the NCAA imposed significant punishments on Michigan stemming from a sign-stealing scandal that began prior to the team's championship run in 2023.
At this point, it's no longer a debate as to whether or not Michigan crossed the line during that time and received a considerable advantage over its opponents. The question remains how big of an advantage did it give the Wolverines and their players, McCarthy included.
Regarding McCarthy, it's fair to wonder how much his play was aided by the scandal and the advantages it gave him and his teammates. His current struggles, fairly or not, would suggest that Michigan's hidden advantage back then helped him considerably.
At the time, however, the scandal didn't deter the Vikings from selecting McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. Looking back, it's clear that the Vikings were comfortable with McCarthy's body of work at Michigan that included a 28-1 record during his final two seasons as the school's starting quarterback.
McCarthy was slated to spend his rookie season in 2024 as Sam Darnold's backup. That plan quickly fell through, however, after it was announced following the Vikings' preseason opener that McCarthy had torn his meniscus. His rookie season ended nearly as fast as it started.
Instead of using his rookie season getting live reps during the preseason and practice reps during the regular season, McCarthy spent it rehabbing his injury. It's safe to say that the injury significantly hampered his growth as an NFL quarterback.
Darnold, however, ran with his opportunity to lead Minnesota's offense. He helped the Vikings post a 14-3 record before signing a multiyear deal with the Seahawks after Minnesota let him test the open market. Part of the reason why the Vikings let Darnold walk was the belief they had in McCarthy.
A year after leaving Minnesota, Darnold hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after helping the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl .
Healthy, McCarthy entered the 2025 season as the Vikings' starting quarterback. He won his first career start in dramatic and historic fashion . In leading the visiting Vikings to a come-from-behind win over the Bears on Monday night, McCarthy was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. His performance included becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his NFL debut.
In leading the Vikings from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit, McCarthy went 13 of 20 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a score.
. @jjmccarthy09 lets it RIIIIIIIP @showtyme_33 📺: @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/21Ro08FUDw
McCarthy's meteoric rise wouldn't last long, however. The following week, the Vikings were held to just six points in a home loss to the Atlanta Falcons with McCarthy throwing for just 158 yards and tossing a pair of picks. After the game, it was announced that McCarthy had suffered a high ankle sprain. The injury would sideline him for the Vikings' next five games.
McCarty returned for the Vikings' Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions , and the outcome was eerily similar to Week 1. McCarthy again threw for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to go with a rushing score helping lead Minnesota to a close win. He struggled during the next three games, however, as the Vikings lost each game while scoring a combined 42 points. Following the Vikings' third straight loss (a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers that saw McCarthy throw for just 87 yards and two interception), it was announced that McCarthy had sustained a concussion that would sideline him for Minnesota's Week 13 loss to the Seahawks.
McCarthy returned the following week and had two of his best performances of the season. He threw a season-high three touchdowns during the team's 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders . In Week 15, he threw for a season-high 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception during the Minnesota's 34-26 win over the Cowboys in Dallas.
The injury bug hit again, however, during the Vikings' eventual Week 16 win over the Giants when McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his throwing hand that led to him not playing in Minnesota's Week 17 win over the Lions. McCarthy returned for Week 18 and threw for 182 yards in Minnesota's season-ending win over the Packers.
McCarthy's rookie season was truly a rollercoaster that clearly cast doubt in the Vikings' brain trust about his ability to lead the offense moving forward. While he did win more of his starts than he lost, McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11). He also completed just 57.6% of his passes.
Injuries undoubtedly factored into McCarthy's struggles last season while opening the door for the team to bring in some competition during the offseason.
Minnesota acted quickly in terms of bringing in quarterback competition. On March 12, shortly after free agency ha...
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