DON'T get it twisted, J.J. McCarthy IS the Vikings starter

AtoZ Sports

Tyler Forness discusses why despite Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's comments on the Rich Eisen Show, fans should rest easy knowing J.J. McCarthy is the team's starting QB.

Transcript

00:00Kevin O'Connell refuses to name JJ McCarthy the starting quarterback and that does not matter one

00:05bit let's talk about it Minnesota Vikings are in a great position in the 2025 season and they're

00:14going to hand the keys over to starting quarterback JJ McCarthy or are they Kevin O'Connell's been

00:21very coy about not actually saying that JJ McCarthy is going to be the starting quarterback

00:26he's never said the direct words and during an appearance on the Rich Eisen show he was directly

00:31asked and he deflected around the question danced around it just would not give a straight answer

00:36some might think that's a problem but here's the reality of it it's not it's not a problem at all

00:44and this is why reading between the lines and really understanding what they're saying

00:48makes a huge difference and actually tells you what's going on everything that Quasi

00:54documents and Kevin O'Connell say is incredibly intentional and because it's intentional it's

01:00something that you want to know so let's talk about a couple quotes here the first one came

01:05initially Rich right now the rules prohibit even Minnesota Vikings defensive players from lining

01:10up across from Minnesota Vikings offensive players so we should be imagining one heck of an opponent

01:16if we said it was us coaches standing out there as a defense or some of the other offensive players

01:21forming a defense that's now what this time of year is about this is the learning the teaching

01:27phase so much growth and development can happen during this time when there's really no negative

01:31outcomes there's no plays that don't go your way and have a real impact on the team they're all just

01:37learning moments right now but there's going to come a time where that changes and it's going to

01:43come very rapidly and quickly listen to what Kevin O'Connell is saying there just really think about those

01:49words what he's saying is I'm not going to name a guy because we don't have one because we didn't

01:57have one what he's saying is I'm not going to name a guy while we're teaching I want these guys to learn

02:04I want these guys to learn the game learn this system and become better football players and better men

02:10that's what he's saying it's not about who's first or who's second it's about learning and developing

02:16and that is the number one focus of these practices once you get to training camp then you can start

02:21really having those positional battles but not yet it does not matter quite yet and this next quote

02:27from O'Connell really slams home the fact that J.J. McCarthy is the incumbent starter

02:36I know everyone is wildly concerned about these reps on here let me put you at peace rich

02:43when he meaning McCarthy is taking snaps he's taking plenty of snaps from Ryan Kelly who happens

02:49to be a 10-year starting offensive center in this league so take that for what it's worth

02:53he just told you that J.J. McCarthy is the starting quarterback you're taking snaps from Ryan Kelly

02:59who does that the starting quarterback it doesn't matter that Kevin O'Connell hasn't directly said those

03:06words they will come plus McCarthy has been outspoken and saying I want to earn it I want

03:13to earn my place he's gonna get that chance and I'm gonna tell you if anybody's telling you that

03:20they're worried about McCarthy they're just searching for something because they're searching

03:25for something that just isn't there McCarthy's the guy he has been the guy the Vikings talked to

03:32Aaron Rodgers but never seriously considered him they did seriously consider extending Sam Darnold

03:38but that didn't come to fruition either they're ready to put their reputations online for J.J. McCarthy

03:45and we'll see how that works but for now it's looking really good I'm Tyler Fornes with ADZ Sports

03:55Skull Vikings

03:56Skull Vikings

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