The Minnesota Vikings knew they were getting a strong-armed quarterback when they drafted J.J. McCarthy last year, but the second-year signal-caller may be just a bit too strong so far. McCarthy, whose rookie season was lost to a knee injury,

The Vikings made a bold bet on J.J. McCarthy as their 2025 starter — but questions are already surfacing about the team’s backup plan. With Sam Howell struggling early in training camp, Minnesota’s decision to bypass veteran QBs in free agency is under fresh scrutiny.

Those running the Vikings took somewhat of a gamble when they decided to trust that McCarthy would be ready to win meaningful games in September after he spent his entire rookie season recovering from a meniscus repair.