EAGAN, Minn. — Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will not have any limitations throughout the staff’s offseason program, coach Kevin O’Connell stated Monday as gamers reported for his or her first day of voluntary exercises.
McCarthy, the No. 10 decide of the 2024 draft, missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his proper knee however has been working on the staff facility for a lot of the previous three months to construct his physique again from the lengthy layoff.
“I feel he is able to hit the bottom working as of at present,” O’Connell stated.
The Vikings have not named McCarthy their 2025 starter, however they’ve bid farewell to a few quarterbacks who hung out with them final season — Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens — and haven’t but signed a alternative. Brett Rypien is the one different quarterback on the roster. The Vikings held critical inside discussions about signing veteran Aaron Rodgers final month however put the thought on maintain whereas McCarthy works via the offseason.
O’Connell stated Monday that “we have got a reasonably detailed plan for the way we wish to go about” including a number of quarterbacks to the roster. The delay might be partially attributed to the NFL’s post-draft deadline free of charge brokers affecting groups’ formulation for compensatory draft picks. However normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stated final week that the components isn’t the one issue.
“We have been affected person and actually evaluated a whole lot of other ways we may probably do this,” O’Connell stated of including one other quarterback. “There’s potential trades and free company and nonetheless the draft. We’re going via a technique of simply determining who’s the participant that we wish to solidify that room with understanding that J.J. and Brett are right here working, beginning at present, and finally we’ll full that room and nonetheless have a aggressive scenario in there, nonetheless you take a look at it.”
Carson Wentz is amongst a handful of veteran quarterbacks nonetheless obtainable on the free agent market. Gamers who is perhaps obtainable by way of commerce embody the Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins, the Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Howell and the Las Vegas Raiders’ Aidan O’Connell.
Within the absence of any proof on the contrary, although, Vikings gamers are making ready for the probability that McCarthy would be the starter.
“He seems nice,” working again Aaron Jones stated. “I’ve seen him at present shifting round. He seems good within the weight room, seems good, assured. I am very assured in him. He has all of the assist round him and we’re right here to raise him up and he will be able to go.”
