JJ McCarthy Shines at Day 2 of Minnesota Vikings Training Camp

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Minnesota Vikings, JJ McCarthy
Credit: Photo courtesy of Andy Kenutis via Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have officially begun their 2024 season with the start of training camp this week. On just the second day of drills, after new quarterback Sam Darnold had his share of highlights yesterday, it was rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy who stole the show today, impressing with his performance.

Minnesota Vikings rookie JJ McCarthy steals the show at training camp

With only media members allowed inside the training camp so far, there have been rumblings about JJ McCarthy making a strong impression today. As he continues to develop into the Vikings’ franchise quarterback, he’s also competing for the starting job against Sam Darnold.

During the team offense drills, JJ McCarthy launched his first throw—a deep ball to third-year receiver Jalen Nailor—for a touchdown. The play fired up McCarthy, showing the same passion we saw at Michigan.

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Ragatz also mentioned that McCarthy was having an impressive day overall, threading the ball through tight windows on multiple occasions.

“The biggest takeaway from Day 2 of camp at TCO Performance Center was the performance of McCarthy, the highest-drafted QB in franchise history. He had an impressive day, making quick decisions and ripping balls with velocity into tight windows. There was a dart to Robert Tonyan over the middle of the field, placed where only the veteran tight end could grab it. That was followed by a sideline throw to Trent Sherfield that McCarthy really had to drive so the cornerback couldn’t jump the route.”

SI’s Will Ragatz on JJ McCarthy

This sparked a healthy competition with Sam Darnold, adding excitement to the QB1 battle early on.

With just two days of training camp under their belts, the competition between McCarthy and Darnold is already heating up. It’s hard not to get excited about the new-look Vikings offense, even if it’s just practice thus far.

It promises to be an exciting camp and preseason as both quarterbacks showcase their skills in the battle for the starting spot in Week 1 against the New York Giants. Our first chance to see them in live action comes Saturday, August 10, for a preseason matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. That day can’t arrive soon enough.

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