The Minnesota Vikings' season depends on J.J. McCarthy. That's not a particularly bold statement. It's the NFL, where quarterbacks are king to begin with. And this is a Minnesota team that nearly won the NFC North last season with a different QB, Sam Darnold, who is now in Seattle.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has reportedly "checked critical boxes early on" while serving as the club's full-time starter for the first time this summer. That doesn't mean the 2024 first-round draft pick was flawless across his first training camp practices after a meniscus repair sidelined him for his entire rookie season.

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy isn't technically a rookie because he was drafted in 2024, but he's effectively one after missing his rookie season with a knee injury. McCarthy had surgery on his knee last August and he was competing with Sam Darnold prior to his injury,