Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy took the NFL world by storm with his second half performance against the Chicago Bears in his NFL debut. McCarthy led the Vikings to a fourth quarter comeback win, scoring 21 unanswered points.
While many were looking at McCarthy's three touchdowns in the final quarter, and his second half stats, former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady was impressed with a different aspect of McCarthy's game on Monday night.
Both Brady and McCarthy played at Michigan in college, and won national championships with the Wolverines. Brady did so before he became the starter, but McCarthy led his 2023 team in a sensational senior year that got him drafted 10th overall by the Vikings.
Brady Highlights What He Loved in McCarthy's Debut
While McCarthy was drafted in the first round, and has a ton of expectation around him, Brady was a sixth round pick by the Patriots. However, the former Wolverine turned that into quite the NFL career.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback watched his fellow Wolverine's debut and pointed to one aspect of McCarthy's game he felt was better than even his own.
"I absolutely love it when I see that type of emotion. I think it brings you to a higher level of focus. When you’re electrified as a player, you play with the most focus, the most anticipation," Brady said while appearing as a guest on Colin Cowherd’s show. "Everything ends up being at the highest sense of alertness. I love that aspect of his game, he’s just got to keep that going for a long time.
"I believe it’s part of your conditioning—that ability to elevate your teammates as well in those big moments. I love seeing that in a Michigan man."
“YOU F*CKING SICKO.”
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 10, 2025
I love this angle of JJ McCarthy’s last TD 😭
🎥: @KSTPSports pic.twitter.com/4e9tZV7Unh
Brady accomplished everything imaginable throughout his NFL career, but the 15-time Pro-Bowler said he didn't show the same level of emotion during games that he saw from McCarthy on Monday night.
Brady always felt focused and had emotions inside, but didn't show them as much as McCarthy did, and that works as a motivation for the players around him.
From one Michigan man to another, Brady's challenge for McCarthy now is to bring that emotion consistently as he moves on and grows from his first NFL game.
McCarthy and the Vikings will welcome the Atlanta Falcons in week 2 for their second straight primetime game, this time on Sunday Night Football.