Resurfacing after months of recovery, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy looks different.
Seen on the Vikings sidelines during their final regular-season game, the former 10th overall pick was visibly thinner and, to some, unrecognizable.
There has been widespread speculation about McCarthy losing weight during his recovery process and how it might impact the Vikings’ decision at quarterback this offseason.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert confirmed that speculation.
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In a Jan. 25 article, Seifert reported McCarthy lost at least 20 pounds during his recovery in the fall.
“Listed at 219 pounds at the start of training camp, McCarthy dropped more than 20 pounds this fall, following a pattern familiar for many football players who put strength workouts on hold during the rehabilitation process,” Seifert wrote.
McCarthy has time to regain that weight, although 20 pounds of muscle is a steep task in a matter of a few months considering he must rebuild his throwing mechanics from the ground up as well.
That has led to the Vikings’ brass being noncommitred when it comes to quarterback for the 2025 season.
“His appearance was a visual symbol of the neutral terms Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell used last week in discussing his immediate future,” Seifert added.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said McCarthy is on track to where they hoped he’d be after undergoing a full meniscus repair in August.
“He is … right where we hoped he would be at this point,” O’Connell said, per ESPN “to have the type of offseason to be able to answer that question.”
However, there is still uncertainty about McCarthy’s immediate ability to lead the team as early as this spring.
“We’re really confident in him, his work ethic and his preparation,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said during his end-of-season news conference. “But I can’t sit here and tell you I know anything for certain.”
Getting a read on McCarthy’s outlook for the next year is the first domino in Minnesota’s decisions on Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones.
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If the Vikings are uncertain McCarthy will be ready to start next season, a veteran quarterback is a needed insurance policy to keep the team competitive in 2025.
Darnold is expected to command too strong of a market for him to stay without at least a two-year promise of being the starting quarterback.
Jones is an obvious candidate to sign an affordable one-year deal to compete with McCarthy in training camp — just as Darnold did a year ago.
