The Minnesota Vikings have bet not just the upcoming season, but their long-term future, on second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy — a somewhat risky wager considering he is just 22 years old and has yet to play a regular-season snap in the NFL.

Minnesota has passed on the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, at least for now, clearing a path for McCarthy to win the starting job. However, the young quarterback is coming off of two knee surgeries following a preseason injury in August 2024 that robbed him of his entire rookie campaign.

On Wednesday, April 2, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shared good news on McCarthy’s recovery and progression with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“We’re excited about J.J. McCarthy,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Obviously, he had an injury setback, but we’re excited about everything he’s done from that point, and we’re going to go forward with that.”

“He’s been in a great spot. Every checkpoint … he’s exceeded,” Adofo-Mensah continued. “Every throwing session, every workout, I mean the kid is so detailed and process-oriented.”

The GM added that the team will look to fill out the QB room with more depth, as Brett Rypien is the only other signal-caller on the roster as of early April.

Minnesota has spoken to Ryan Tannehill about a backup job and has also been floated as a landing spot for players like Joe Flacco and Carson Wentz in free agency.