Daily Norseman on J.J. McCarthy

ArticleVikings 2026 Season Forecast
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I was too optimistic about J.J. McCarthy's ability to have a Sam Darnold-like season. Of the 27 quarterbacks I measured in that piece, only Mark Sanchez had a slightly worse season than McCarthy did last year in terms of passer rating and ANY/A and it's fair to say that Sanchez did not have the offensive weapons that McCarthy had.
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McCarthy's 2025 season ranked among worst first-round QB debuts despite elite weapons.

McCarthy underperformed expectations in his first full season as a starter in 2025, despite having top offensive weapons. The source compiled average stats of 27 first-round quarterbacks landing in 'good' situations in their first full season as a starter; only Mark Sanchez had a slightly worse season than McCarthy in terms of passer rating and ANY/A, and Sanchez did not have the offensive weapons McCarthy had. McCarthy missed seven games and departed a couple others early due to injury, and his relative performance compared to his backups last season meant the Vikings' quarterback play remained among the worst in the league.

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