Vikings Fans Expect to See Golden Boy Early and Often

first-ever preseason game, an incident that ended his whole rookie season.

And with the preseason about four weeks away, fans wonder if McCarthy, now promoted to QB1, will play at all in the exhibition games.

Fans predict yes.

J.J. McCarthy + Preseason = What Gives?

Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings don’t usually use starters in August.

Do you expect J.J. McCarthy to play in the preseason?

— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) July 1, 2025

Over 87% of respondents forecasted McCarthy to play in August, indicating an overwhelming response rate.

Our own Tony Schultz commented, “A series of 3 would be good to lock down the chemistry. They can’t worry about injuries because they can happen to anyone at any time. If he gets injured in the 1st game, folks will complain it’s because he didn’t take preseason reps to get in the flow.”

@FBAnalysisTY opined, “I’d like to see a few drives, yes. Just to get in the flow. Even if it’s a few runs and a few play action passes to Gavin Bartholomew in the flat – I want the game reps.”

Tyler Ireland of Zone Coverage, on the other hand, advised against it. “I hope not. He has nothing to prove, he’s gonna be our Day 1 starter and I don’t want any more injury shenanigans,” Ireland wrote.

Starters … Usually Don’t Play with O’Connell in Charge

Ordinarily — a talker that may apply next summer — McCarthy, as the unabashed QB1, would not play at all. Kirk Cousins did not with Kevin O’Connell in charge.

Sam Darnold saw a teensy bit of action in 2024 because of his newcomer status. All existing veterans, like Harrison Smith, for example, don’t play in the preseason with O’Connell at the helm.

Hence the debate.

Preseason as the Scene of the Crime Last Year

McCarthy bedazzled Vikings fans for about 45 minutes of real-life time last August, showcasing the necessary exhibition tools that seemed likely to translate to the regular season. He showed pocket mobility, passing accuracy, arm strength, and the oomph to shake off a clumsy interception.

Two days later, he revealed a torn meniscus, a serious buzzkill to everything about Minnesota’s 2024 offseason.

at Soldier Field in Week 1. The injury fears won’t go away as folks watch the preseason games, but at some point, McCarthy just has to jump into the fire.

Janik Eckardt recently wrote about McCarthy, “McCarthy has the advantage that he entered the draft at the age of 21. In fact, he played in January’s national title game at the age of 20 and turned 21 years old on January 20 last year. He’s exactly 22 years and 163 days old. Saints rookie Tyler Shough will turn 26 in September, first overall pick Cam Ward just turned 23, and fellow sophomore Bo Nix is 25.”

“There’s no doubt about it, injuries are never a ‘good’ thing, but because of his young age, it might not have been as devastating as it could’ve been. The former Michigan passer has all the time in the world to develop and grow into the best version of himself, and his torn meniscus just paused his career, rather than derail it.”

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily … More about Dustin Baker