JJ McCarthy throwing a football
JJ McCarthy (jjmccarthy/Instagram)
JJ McCarthy is looking forward to competing in the NFL after helping Michigan win its first national title since 1997.

But, if the rumors are to be believed, he could have a long wait to see the field.

According to the NFL Notifications account on Twitter/X, the quarterback had been struggling in practice as of Wednesday. In fact, things got so bad that he received an earful from his coaches about his ball protection at some point.

McCarthy was drafted at No. 10 overall in April, with the Minnesota Vikings bringing him in as the signal-caller they hope to make the face of their franchise. But he may or may not have gotten off to a very slow start.

Interestingly, other reports don’t paint such a poor picture of McCarthy’s prospects.

He is reported to have gone 7-for-8 in seven-on-seven and 9-for-10 in teamwork earlier in the week. It should be noted, however, that he was throwing to backups while Sam Darnold trained with the starters.

 

The Vikings Are Looking to Change JJ McCarthy’s Mechanics

The Vikings haven’t revealed anything indicating that their rookie is struggling but have disclosed that they are working on changing an element of his footwork.

The team wants JJ McCarthy standing with his left foot slightly forward when taking snaps out of the shotgun. That’s a different setup from the stance he used at Michigan.

“We’ve got him with the left foot up stance, which is a little different for him,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said earlier this week.

“So just kind of adjusting how you’re used to standing in the gun, with your left foot up or if you’re used to more of a square stance or some people are right foot up. Trying to get everybody kind of on the same page with how we do it and how it times up with all of our concepts. He’s doing well with it thus far.”

According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, the team hasn’t ruled McCarthy out as their starter for opening week. However, they “want his ascension to be organic” rather than starting him because they don’t have a better option.

Behind-The-Scenes Video Shows New York Jets Draft Room Laughing At The Minnesota Vikings Following Their Trade Up For JJ McCarthy

New York Jets reacting in draft room.

New York Jets draft room (Photo via @AriMeirov Twitter)
New video footage shows the New York Jets draft room laughing at the Minnesota Vikings following their blockbuster trade on day one of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings traded the No. 11, No. 129 and No. 157 picks to the New York Jets to move up into the No. 10 spot. With that pick, the Vikings got their man and selected Michigan Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy.

Considering the Jets were never going to take a quarterback at No. 10, the trade was a big win for GM Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh. So it’s no wonder that they were laughing at Minnesota in the draft room once Douglas closed the deal, as you can see in this recently released video footage.

After the trade is announced in the New York draft room, Saleh is heard saying “Free money,” with a laugh. Following the Jets’ selection of Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu at No. 11, Douglas, Saleh and other staffers ecstatically exchange handshakes and hugs.

The Vikings were widely mentioned as the No. 1 team that wanted McCarthy. Many believed they’d have to trade up into the top-four to get him, but it only took them one spot to move up for the Michigan legend.

The New York Jets Have Aced The Offseason

New York had three primary offseason goals, and Douglas has accomplished all of them without issue.

His main task was rebuilding the offensive line, and he brought in three new starters in Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and John Simpson. Fashanu might not be a starter as a rookie, but he at least provides valuable depth that New York lacked in 2023.

Douglas’ second goal was to bring in a suitable backup for Aaron Rodgers, and he did that by signing reliable veteran Tyrod Taylor. And finally, he bolstered Rodgers’ supporting cast by signing former Los Angeles Chargers star wide receiver Mike Williams to a one-year deal.