The Minnesota Vikings have shown strong faith in J.J. McCarthy’s potential by choosing not to bring back Sam Darnold or sign another quarterback during free agency this offseason, signaling their intent for McCarthy to guide the team in 2025. His early performances in practice have revealed promising skill and poise as he takes charge of the Vikings’ offense.
On NFL Live, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins shared his perspective on McCarthy’s chances of leading one of the league’s top teams in the upcoming season. Hawkins expressed confidence grounded in the Vikings’ solid organizational foundation.
“I mean that’s setting the bar really high when you’re talking about 14-3 [last season]. But I do think J.J. will have a lot of success in this organization because of that infrastructure that we just saw. Everything is set up in that way and when you look at the Minnesota Vikings, when Kirk Cousins was in there they had that success under KOC [Kevin O’Connell] and some of that infrastructure.”
—Andrew Hawkins, Former Bengals WR
Strong Team Support and Infrastructure Highlight McCarthy’s Opportunity
Hawkins underscored how unforeseen success from Sam Darnold last season reflects the strength of Minnesota’s support system, implying McCarthy could follow a similar path. The Vikings’ organization benefits from solid coaching and experienced mentors.
“Sam Darnold comes in, nobody in this football world would have predicted what we saw from the Vikings last year with Sam Darnold, but that infrastructure helped, you talk about KOC, you talk about Josh McCown…” (07:15) Hawkins said.
—Andrew Hawkins, Former Bengals WR
Following McCarthy’s selection as the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he unfortunately missed the entire 2024 season due to a preseason injury. Now, with a return on the horizon, the Vikings are positioned well with Kevin O’Connell as head coach, a top-ranked defense led by Byron Murphy Jr. and Harrison Smith, and a dynamic offense featuring elite receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Expectations and Odds for the Vikings’ 2025 Campaign
High expectations surround McCarthy as he prepares to lead the Vikings, who aim for a deep playoff run in 2025. Despite their 14-3 record last season and an arguably stronger roster now, Bet365 currently lists the Vikings with odds of -140 to miss the playoffs and +110 to make them. Minnesota holds the third-best odds (+400) to win the NFC North division.
The combination of McCarthy’s talents and Minnesota’s supportive infrastructure, as highlighted by Hawkins, creates a hopeful outlook for the Vikings’ 2025 season, suggesting that the young quarterback’s leadership could help maintain and even build on the team’s recent success.