EAGAN, Minn. — Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will not have any limitations through the group’s offseason program, coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned Monday as gamers reported for his or her first day of voluntary exercises.
McCarthy, the No. 10 choose of the 2024 draft, missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his proper knee however has been working on the group 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 right this moment,” O’Connell mentioned.
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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 substitute. Brett Rypien is the one different quarterback on the roster. The Vikings held severe inner discussions about signing veteran Aaron Rodgers final month however put the thought on maintain whereas McCarthy works via the offseason.
O’Connell mentioned Monday that “we have a fairly detailed plan for the way we wish to go about” including a number of quarterbacks to the roster. The delay may be partially attributed to the NFL’s post-draft deadline free of charge brokers affecting groups’ formulation for compensatory draft picks. However common supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah mentioned final week that the components will not be the one issue.
“We have been affected person and actually evaluated quite a lot of alternative ways we might probably try this,” O’Connell mentioned of including one other quarterback. “There’s potential trades and free company and nonetheless the draft. We’re going via a means of simply determining who’s the participant that we wish to solidify that room with realizing that J.J. and Brett are right here working, beginning right this moment, and ultimately we’ll full that room and nonetheless have a aggressive state of affairs in there, nonetheless you have a look at it.”
Carson Wentz is amongst a handful of veteran quarterbacks nonetheless accessible on the free agent market. Gamers who may be accessible by way of commerce embrace 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 chance that McCarthy would be the starter.
“He appears to be like nice,” working again Aaron Jones mentioned. “I’ve seen him right this moment shifting round. He appears to be like good within the weight room, appears to be like 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’ll be able to go.”
