Expectations for Vikings Quarterback In His First Official Year

The Minnesota Vikings had a huge season last year. They were a standout team with 14 wins in one season, and they were led by veteran Sam Darnold, who was signed to a one-year contract. Initially, the team was supposed to have rookie J.J. McCarthy lead the way for them. Unfortunately, this young rookie went out with a leg injury in the preseason, putting his entire rookie season on hold. However, McCarthy is back this season and ready to bring the heat. 

However, there are things that this young rookie needs to live up to. Darnold took the Vikings to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs as the number five seed, but they were eliminated in the first round by the Los Angeles Rams. Now that Darnold is gone from the Vikings, it’s up to McCarthy to fill those empty shoes as the team's starting quarterback. They have some pretty high expectations for him, and they showed on the first day of training camp. 

The expectation is that the Vikings plan to have him ready to be the team's starter. They have spent a lot of time prepping him, and he has also spent a lot of time prepping to be the Vikings' new leader. He has even stated that he is ready to go after making a full recovery from his torn meniscus. McCarthy spent time last season talking to his teammates on the sidelines, breaking down plays and building third-down game plans. He has built a lot of fluency within the team without on-field snaps. 

Minnesota is also giving this young quarterback a lot of confidence after last season. They believe that McCarthy has already shown a lot of leadership. He has had support from around the locker room in all aspects. One of the most significant sources of support is Justin Jefferson, who has even taken him on to give him a mentorship role. He even moved his locker to be next to his, showing complete trust on and off the football field. 

McCarthy has a lot of opportunities to work with. He has the potential with a loaded offense like Jefferson and Jordan Addison. McCarthy is backed by elite support. The pressure is on him to try to live up to how Darnold played and led the team last season. Several sources believe that if he can’t do this, he will be considered a bust and the Vikings will return to the drawing board. However, with everything he has already proven from the sidelines last season, and how he’s been in training camp, McCarthy may just come through. 

The Vikings are backing this young quarterback in all directions. They want him equipped with the resources he has. They are giving him the weapons and coaching he needs to learn to be the team's starter in Week One. The Vikings want him to grow into a franchise-caliber quarterback. With everything he is currently showing, this might be the case.