gameintr88 J.J. McCarthy confirms he is ready to lead the Minnesota Vikings in the 2025 season. gameintr88
J.J. McCarthy, 22, is confident he’s ready to lead the Minnesota Vikings after spending time on the sidelines through injury during his rookie season, NFL Network reports.
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“I know I’m ready to play,” McCarthy said. “Because I’ve worked hard and I’m confident in my skills and my ability and just doing my job and simplifying it to the best that I can every day and taking it one day at a time, one game at a time. And as you know, I’ve got a great coaching staff, a great group of guys around me that I can rely on and they can rely on me.”
The former 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft suffered a knee injury during a preseason game that required surgery, effectively ending his rookie season. Sam Darnold went on to a breakout season, leading the team to a 14-3 record and a playoff run, only to lose to the LA Rams in the wild-card round.
After a lengthy recovery process, McCarthy is now confident heading into 2025, saying: ‘The whole process has been unique. I’ve never had an injury like this before and been out for such a long time, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity to really develop the mentality of the game, the offense, the opponents, the defensive schemes and the individual characteristics of each player. ‘
‘It was great to be on the same page with K.O. (Kevin O’Connell, head coach) last season, seeing him explain the game and everything that goes into it, including the complex personality of the players on the team and being able to help other players help strengthen the team as a whole.’
‘And help build their individual strengths and be there for them when things don’t go their way, and you can take that from what you learn off the field and help them get back on the baseline.’
‘Overall, I feel 110 percent better because I feel better than I did when I was injured eight months ago. I’m so excited to be here with them again and in the building.’
‘Personally, I think the more pressure the better for me because that’s what I love to do, and you know, they always say pressure is a privilege, but it’s something you build when you play in the NFL, especially as a quarterback. And I feel like pressure just brings out what’s inside of you, and I feel really good about what’s inside of me. The more pressure the better, honestly.
