Vikings Leader Unveils Teammates’ True Feelings on JJ McCarthy

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Brian O'Neill, JJ McCarthy - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

On Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings made their second-biggest splash of the 2026 NFL offseason, outside of signing quarterback Kyler Murray to a one-year, prove-it contract back in March, at the start of NFL free agency.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings visited TCO Performance Center last week, and left town without a deal, most believed Minnesota had missed their chance to sign the 28-year-old block-happy, 3rd down merchant.

Fortunately, that was not the case. After checking out a couple other spots, Jennings called the MN Vikings back and got his deal done. Now, Murray has arguably the most talented group of skill position players in the NFL at his disposal.

While head coach Kevin O’Connell has yet to officially name a starter, but given how McCarthy played last season, he should be more concerned with winning the Vikings’ QB2 job over Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer.

That’s the kind of uncertainty you get, even as a top 10 overall pick, when you used your ten starts in 2025 to produce one of the worst statistical QB seasons in Minnesota Vikings franchise history — 1,632 yards (57.6% CMP), 11 TD, 12 INT, 6.7 Y/A.

Brian O’Neill: MN Vikings players never lost faith in JJ McCarthy

However, even after a 4-8 start, behind three different starting quarterbacks, which eliminated from the playoffs by week 13 of the regular season… his teammates never lost hope in their young QB. At least, that’s what one veteran leader claims.

Even amid all that losing and inconsistency from the most important position in sports, right tackle Brian O’Neill (who has always been a staunch McCarthy supporter) told the Greenlight Podcast this week that JJ never lost the MN Vikings locker room. In fact, quite the opposite.

“We were 4-8 at one point last year, and rattled off five-straight. Guys believed in him and guys wanted us to figure it out and be better as an offense…The whole locker room was super tight through the whole entire process of growing and getting better and going through growing pains. So, we love him.

We were all at the Minnesota Wild playoff game with him, he got tickets for everybody, last week. We are always at his house. I love that kid and if I was judged off my first ten games in the NFL, I’m not playing right now. It’s still so fresh and he’s still going to continue to get better.

The whole attitude from us was like, ‘How do we all go there as an offense, together?’ You hear the term, ‘lost the locker room’, like he had the locker room more than anybody I’d seen ever, if that makes sense? You want to root for him, you want him to do well and you want him to keep taking those next steps.”

Brian O’Neill on MN Vikings players’ belief in JJ McCarthy – Greenlight Podcast with Chris Long

This is the first time it was made public that JJ McCarthy bought those suite tickets to the Minnesota Wild playoff game we saw he and his teammates attend last week, proving that if there is one thing the kid QB excels at, it’s his care factor.

There is no doubting how much McCarthy gives a damn, or how much he wants to be really good at football and and even better teammate. Can he mature and put things together on the field to resurrect his career? That is yet to be seen, but there’s no doubt his teammates are cheering for him.

Brian O’Neill’s first impressions of new MN Vikings QB Kyler Murray

More than likely, JJ McCarthy will get his chance under center in 2026 at some point, if he can stay above Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer on the depth chart.

Remember, Kyler Murray has never played a full NFL season, because he’s never been able to stay healthy for 17 games. During his Greenlight Podcast appearance, O’Neill also talked about his first impressions of Murray, and what K1 can theoretically do to make Minnesota’s offense more dynamic.

“Kyler’s been cool. He’s been great. He made sure he introduced himself to all the linemen right away. He’s gotten snaps with some of our centers already. He’s been cool. I don’t know him that well. I’ve only been with him for a week. Obviously I have a lot of respect watching him over the years. And he’s been a hell of a player.”

“We’ll find out how I have to change [my style]. I had Kirk…where you knew exactly where he was going to be in the pocket. There’s good sides and bad to that…If you have a guy who can break one for 30 or 40, [defenders] might have more rush lane integrity [than vs a non-mobile QB].”

Brian O’Neill on what he thinks it will be like blocking for Kyler Murray

JJ McCarthy’s QB future in his own hands

Consistency on the field was far from JJ’s only issue last season. In fact, you could argue his locker room and press conference demeanor were more sporadic than his play, and that’s saying something.

In the professional sports world want team leaders must be consistent — the same person, no matter the scenario or stress level, at any given moment. With McCarthy, the Minnesota Vikings have gotten the opposite of that.

More Vikings News: Flood of New GM Candidates Revealed

If emotions were a rollercoaster, JJ would be the Wild Thing, which is why there are so many McCarthy memes running loose on the internet that Michael Jordan is probably still crying about it, or at least taking it personally.

But according to one of the Minnesota Vikings top locker room leaders, even when their 2025 season went in the toilet, nobody was pointing fingers at JJ McCarthy.

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