Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy impressed in his NFL debut Monday night, leading the Vikings to a comeback win over the Chicago Bears.
After struggling in the first half, the former Michigan standout settled into the game and scored three touchdowns, one on the ground and two through the air.
Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd had a strong take during the game, posting on X, "They are protecting J.J. McCarthy. Nothing more. He’s a mile away and the Vikings staff knows it," but backtracked after the miraculous turn around.
Colin Cowherd Compares Vikings to 'Good Parents' for J.J. McCarthy
Cowherd, on his show The Herd this week, compared McCarthy's coaching and surroundings in Minnesota to having good parents.
"I don't know how good J.J. McCarthy is. I don't know how good Bo Nix is. But I suspect they're both going to win their division a lot, and over the course of 15 years they're going to win a bunch of games," Cowherd said on his show via Sports Illustrated.
"It's not fair. Baker Mayfield got Cleveland and Hugh Jackson. (Patrick) Mahomes got Andy Reid and the Hunt family. Listen, man, we all know this the longer you live: Parenting is not fair. Some people get bad parents and bad bosses and bad coaches."
Cowherd certainly has a point. Having a great support system is key to developing a young quarterback, and one can argue that McCarthy has one of the best environments in which to grow.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell is one of the best offensive minds in all of football, and he's throwing to one of the most talented receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson.
He even had a year to watch and learn as he recovered from a knee injury, which is something many rookie quarterbacks don't get to do in today's day and age.
The former Michigan Wolverine still has a lot to prove in his first year as the Vikings quarterback, but Monday night was a great start, and he certainly knows everyone in Minnesota has his back.