J.J. McCarthy Being Named Vikings QB1 Is 'Outcome We're Headed Towards,' GM Says

While J.J. McCarthy hasn't officially been named the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback, all signs are pointing in that direction, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah told reporters on Wednesday.

The Vikings have also been heavily connected to Aaron Rodgers this offseason, but Adofo-Mensah seems satisfied with the team's current QB room of McCarthy and Brett Rypien.

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, missed all of last season with a torn meniscus suffered in a preseason game.

McCarthy excelled at Michigan before landing in the pros, leading the Wolverines to a 15-0 record and a national championship to cap the 2023 season. He finished his career by completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions (two seasons as a starter, one as the backup).

Last season, the Vikings signed Sam Darnold as a veteran quarterback to have alongside McCarthy. It seemed like Darnold would be the bridge to McCarthy last year, but he became the team's clear QB1 for the season when the latter suffered the knee injury.

Now it's clear this is McCarthy's show, even as Aaron Rodgers continues to ponder his future. The connections in the press between Rodgers and the Vikings have been out there. At this juncture, though, it appears the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the favorites to sign him if he does end up returning to the league.

McCarthy will take over a team that went 14-3 last year but lost in the NFC Wild Card round to the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings cleaned up this offseason, signing big names such as defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave and offensive linemen Will Fries and Ryan Kelly.

The table is set for the Vikings to make a deep playoff run, and McCarthy should be at the forefront of it, even though he's not yet officially QB1.