As training camp gets underway for the Minnesota Vikings, young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is set to make his debut as an NFL starting quarterback this season, has had a lot of growing pains.
However, McCarthy is treating his struggles against what’s projected to be one of the top defenses in the NFL as learning moments rather than failures.
“Honestly, constant improvement,” McCarthy said, per the Minnesota Star Tribune. “Learning every single day and when the periods don’t go your way, you’re always asking why. It’s never a loss. You’re always learning from it. … Those periods where they really get you, I feel like that’s where we learn the most about ourselves and our offense.”
McCarthy had “learning moments” on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but they aren’t discouraging him.
“Missing by inches,” McCarthy said of a red-zone drill that saw him miss some targets. “That’s what happens when you’re down in the red zone. You got to be detail-oriented and really specific with where you’re putting the ball. But there was a lot of good things on tape … just more great reps to put under my belt.”
The quarterback also spoke on regaining some of his touch on the ball after being forced away from the game for so long due to last season’s knee injury.
“Not having those reps last year, that’s something you miss out on when you take a substantial amount of time off from throwing the football,” McCarthy said. “You got to find that touch again. There was a lot of throws in OTAs where I felt I could’ve had a better outcome if I had that touch. Just learning from failures and trying to get better.”
McCarthy has also been without what figures to be his top target in wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
“We were in a really great spot,” McCarthy said. “We spent a lot of time together in the offseason getting on the same page. He’s a different receiver. He moves in different ways. … We’re going to pick up right where we left off. We’re still communicating off the field. He’s still communicating with me on the field about how he’d run certain routes and where the ball placement would be.”
It’ll be interesting to see how McCarthy performs in his first NFL action of his career.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.