“I think the big thing is he’s done a phenomenal job,” O’Connell said about McCarthy. “You know what I would really call that kind of invisible. Invisible habits, invisible work that he’s done when really nobody’s been watching, in many ways, solidifying and finalizing his rehab then on into a phase where he’s really been able to push it on the field from a throws and working his technique and fundamentals. And then ultimately, the mental side of it as well. He’s always working. And now he gets the ability to learn everything from day one, as we go through our installations multiple times this spring and just the different checkpoints.

“I think the spring is set up perfectly for for JJ with where he’s at, from a standpoint of phase one, really, being in a classroom setting, running and lifting and continuing, of what he’s been able to do. Well, a lot of his teammates haven’t been here. Now, the group comes back. He continues that, and then eventually gets on the field, and we can start throwing and catching a little bit before finalizing those two, three weeks of OTAs in mini camp, where you get a little dabble of that competitive feel, running the huddle, running the show. So all that is going to be kind of systematically planned out for him, and I think he’s ready to attack it.”