Yahoo Sports NFL on J.J. McCarthy
From the article
On most pass attempts, it simply looks like a struggle for him processing. There are some quick hitters when he does fine, but on most longer route concepts he holds the ball too long, waiting for a receiver to come open until he's under pressure and opts for a checkdown. I don't think he's even attempted an over-the-top bomb since the start of training camp in 11-on-11 team drills.
STACKED’s take
McCarthy's slow processing and lack of deep attempts signal starter plateau too low.
McCarthy's 11-on-11 completions were mostly short-range with a few intermediate passes; the source notes his performance mirrors his 2025 training camp struggles with slow processing on longer route concepts, holding the ball too long until under pressure and opting for checkdowns. McCarthy has not attempted an over-the-top bomb since training camp began in 11-on-11 drills, whereas last year he typically had one or two deep attempts per practice. Kevin O'Connell repeatedly coached McCarthy between plays to speed up his processing. The source concludes McCarthy has reached a plateau that is not high enough to be a quality starter and will likely remain at this level until his processing improves.
J.J. McCarthyQBPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight