In his NFL preseason debut on Saturday, McCarthy confirmed promise in a two-TD efficiency.
McCarthy began slowly after changing starter Sam Darnold on the Vikings’ second drive, throwing an interception on his fourth play. However he settled in properly thereafter, ending the sport 11 of 17 passing for 188 yards with two TDs and the INT over his six drives, additionally including two rushes for 18 yards.
“I credit score J.J. for clearly having the ability to proceed to play,” O’Connell stated on Tuesday. “He didn’t come out of the sport from the damage and completed his evening together with his second landing cross. At that time, (he) type of had reached the snap depend I hoped to get him by the sport and at that time was taken out, however at no time did he assume it was one thing that may be one thing to take him out of the soccer sport and never enable him to play.”
A method or one other, this damage will interrupt the Vikings’ preparation plan they laid out for his or her rookie QB.
“I had a really clear-cut plan and was going to proceed by that with J.J. on the sphere, getting increasingly reps and clearly coming off a efficiency like he had the place we felt strongly about the place he was at in his growth course of,” O’Connell stated. “You damage for him within the quick time period right here as a result of he had such a each day course of, focus, all these issues that I used to be actually on the lookout for in a younger participant on the place.
“Initially, we’ll get this process carried out, be sure that we’re doing the suitable issues for him to have the very best restoration when that takes place.”
The Vikings traded up one spot to pick out McCarthy with the tenth general decide within the 2024 NFL Draft, the fifth quarterback chosen general out of six whole within the first spherical. Minnesota additionally signed Darnold, who is anticipated to be the Week 1 starter, earlier within the offseason.
McCarthy, 21, led Michigan to the School Soccer Playoff within the 2022 season and to a nationwide championship within the 2023 season, capping off an ideal 15-0 mark. In three years with the Wolverines, McCarthy threw for six,226 yards, 49 TDs and 11 interceptions, additionally speeding for 632 yards and 10 extra TDs.