After his actual rookie year was cut after suffering a torn meniscus, J.J. McCarthy is finally getting his spot under center for the Minnesota Vikings and even led the team to a comeback 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears in his first game since leading the Wolverines to the national championship in the 2023 season.
After the win, which saw McCarthy throw both a pick-six and then also a touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson, many Vikings fans likely had to get their hopes up about McCarthy, believing he could lead them to the same heights that Sam Darnold was able to last year.
However, one NFL legend is strongly advising against this.
"That's a Lot To Ask a Young Player"
Future NFL Hall of Famer and FOX Sports analyst Tom Brady is trying to lessen the pressure on his fellow Wolverine quarterback, and tells the Minnesota faithful to not get too overzealous with the former first-round pick right out of the gate.
"They're expecting J.J. to come and play at that level that Sam Darnold did. But I think that's a lot to ask a young player. In my second year, I wasn't the same quarterback that I was in Year 7 or Year 8. I was way better in 2007 than when I was in 2001 when I took over," Brady said to Chris Collinsworth on the Pro Football Focus podcast.
Brady also pointed out the growth that McCarthy has to undergo as he journeys through the pros before he can reach the level of success Darnold did with the Vikings last year, or even the career trajectory that a player like Brady accomplished in his NFL career.
"These years of development, they all add up, and I think it's a bit unfair to create unrealistic expectations for a quarterback in his second year," Brady said. "But of course, Minnesota Vikings fans are going to have those expectations because of how high of a pick he is. He's got a lot to prove."
Surely, it's a good sign when the greatest quarterback in NFL history is giving you time to breathe upon entering the professional gridiron.