Kevin O’Connell reveals prioritizing injured QB J.J. McCarthy over Vikings' winning in 2024 NFL season: "It doesn't really guarantee you anything"

The Minnesota Vikings selected quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the tenth pick in the 2024 NFL draft. However, he missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, and Sam Darnold took over at quarterback for the team in 2024.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Darnold has joined the Seattle Seahawks, while McCarthy is poised to assume the starting position in Minnesota. According to Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, McCarthy has shown promise this offseason.

According to an ESPN article by Kevin Seifert on Sunday, O'Connell and the Vikings made an effort to help McCarthy through his injury last season. The coach met with the quarterback one-on-one on a regular basis, despite knowing that McCarthy wouldn't take any snaps on the field.

According to O'Connell, McCarthy stayed involved during his rookie season despite being unable to train due to NFL regulations for players on injured reserve.

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"I just wanted to give him a platform with me. Maybe it was football one day. Maybe it was no football," O'Connell said. "My time is very hard to find during the season, but I just wanted to make sure that we got together. "The one thing I learned about him in those meetings is that he had great questions, and that validated that he was receiving and getting something out of that time. And as I've told him, it doesn't really guarantee you anything, but once you're fighting the fight on a daily basis of growing within the system, he would be able to rely on some of what we did together."

O’Connell also informed Seifert that McCarthy was involved in every phase of the game planning with the other quarterbacks. He would subsequently report to the coach's office to engage in a mental activity.

The head coach essentially explained that he prioritized the team's long-term future by constantly engaging McCarthy, even though he wasn’t going to contribute on the field.

J.J. McCarthy under pressure to perform in the 2025 NFL season

Kevin O'Connell is hoping to get the best out of J.J. McCarthy this season, and that shouldn't be too big of a task for someone who has worked well with top NFL quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins and most recently, Sam Darnold.

The Vikings are expected to compete with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North crown this season after winning 14 games during the regular season last year. McCarthy must, however, swiftly catch up and deliver a strong performance in his first season as a starter in order for the team to accomplish that.

As seen throughout his college career, especially when he guided Michigan to the national title in 2023, McCarthy possesses a wealth of athleticism and passing talents.

Additionally, he will have strong offensive weapons like Aaron Jones, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson that will help him to play to his full ability in the Vikings offense.

McCarthy will not be expected to lead the Vikings offense by himself in 2025, but he must contribute to the team's success.

Edited by Ribin Peter