Kevin O'Connell not ruling out J.J. McCarthy as Week 1 starter

J.J. McCarthy could end up being the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Week 1 as Kevin O’Connell didn’t rule anything out.

The Vikings head coach preached competition each and every day inside the building. Right now, veteran Sam Darnold is slated to start, but nothing’s confirmed.

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick out of Michigan, will have a prime opportunity.

“I definitely don’t want to be in a world where anybody shows up to this building every day thinking they’ve got a ceiling, you know, a time stamp on them of what the expectations are,” O’Connell said. “The expectations are to come in here, and, you know, be on a daily mission to be the best version of JJ McCarthy, of Sam Darnold, of Aaron Jones, of Justin Jefferson. And that’s the challenge that I think we’ve gotten these players to really understand.” 

The plan is to get McCarthy first-team reps during camp to give him a fair shot. It just remains to be seen how many he’ll get in comparison to Darnold.

Either way, McCarthy seems to be in the right locker room to kickoff his NFL career.

“We will collectively take care of this team in this locker room, the best in the NFL, where I do believe we are,” O’Connell said. “It’s not just surveys and things that people like to talk about. It’s the real feeling when you walk in this building. I do believe we have that but with that comes a personal responsibility of ‘what am I doing every single day to take advantage of what is offered?’ And for many guys that are as talented as some of those guys that I just mentioned, it’s just a matter of having a daily focus.”

The vibes around the Vikings are seemingly high regarding McCarthy, considering he’s the long term option. Still, the team wants to get its money’s worth with Darnold.

“Being the competitor that I am, of course (I want to play),” McCarthy said in June. “But this is such a blessing for me, like I grew up watching Sam Darnold my entire life. And being able to just sit there and watch him, watch Nick (Mullens), watch (Jarren Hall) and it’s not what they say to me. It’s what they do and just being a sponge. 

“Just observing them and eventually, hopefully, one day surpassing them, but right now, you know, they’re just phenomenal human beings that are sharing their wisdom with me. And, you know, I just can’t thank them enough for that and I can’t wait for training camp.”