08-21-2025, 01:33 PM
How high is J.J. McCarthy’s confidence? ‘The highest it’s ever been,’ says the Vikings QB.
The following three receivers were running with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings’ first-team offense by the end of a two-hour scrimmage that closed training camp on Wednesday and sent the Vikings into their preseason finale at Tennessee on Friday:
Jeshaun Jones, Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas.
Combined NFL games: Three, all belonging to Jackson.
Combined NFL regular-season or postseason catches: Zero, zilch, nada.
All-world receiver Justin Jefferson was held out of the scrimmage as another precaution and all indications are he is healthy and ready to go for the Sept. 8 season opener at Chicago.
Rondale Moore is on injured reserve. Jalen Nailor has a hand injury and wasn’t at practice. And then …
Rookie third-round pick Tai Felton went down with a hand or arm injury during the scrimmage and didn’t return. And then …
Jordan Addison, who has had an excellent training camp but is suspended by the NFL for the first three games, went down with a left hand or arm injury and didn’t return.
The injuries to Felton and Addison did not immediately appear to be serious, but still, it continues to not be a good or healthy summer for Vikings receivers.
So, Mr. McCarthy, are you as concerned about your receiver depth as the rest of Vikings Nation?
“I have no concern at all,” the second-year QB said. “I absolutely love our room. At the end of the day, I trust [coach Kevin O’Connell] and [General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah] to make the right decision and do whatever is best for this football team.”
The scrimmage featured several different situations, from red-zone work to second-and-longs to third downs to the offense backed up at its own 1-yard line. McCarthy completed 27 of 35 passes (77.1%), but don’t get too excited since most of the throws were dinks and dunks, a few of which might have been sacks had it been a fully live competition.
McCarthy completed 17 of 24 passes against the first-team defense and 10 of 11 against the second-team defense. The highlight was going 4 of 6 with two touchdowns against the No. 1 defense in the red zone. The touchdowns went to Jackson and Addison, who made an excellent contested grab over cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
As for the deep ball, well … what deep ball? There were some mid-range completions over the middle but the only deep-ball completion — to running back Aaron Jones — was negated by penalty.
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips spoke before the scrimmage and was asked if anything about McCarthy’s first full training camp had surprised him.
“Well,” he said, “we drafted him. We thought he was good. So that has not been a surprise.
“All of the intangible stuff outside of playing the position on the field is part of what attracted us to J.J. in the first place. He’s been phenomenal in that aspect. He’s going to learn and make some mistakes throughout just experience in our system. But he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”
McCarthy finished training camp with a high level of confidence despite having never taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game.
How high?
“Extremely high; the highest it’s ever been,” he said. “I feel like just looking at the guys around me and the coaching staff, that gives me all the confidence in the world.
“Knowing I have God at my back, at all of our backs, I just feel like I get goose bumps right now thinking about it. Extremely confident in the way we attack every day, put in the work. The rest is going to take care of itself. Having that confidence level as a precursor of the work that we put in, it really makes me excited.”
Startribune
The following three receivers were running with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings’ first-team offense by the end of a two-hour scrimmage that closed training camp on Wednesday and sent the Vikings into their preseason finale at Tennessee on Friday:
Jeshaun Jones, Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas.
Combined NFL games: Three, all belonging to Jackson.
Combined NFL regular-season or postseason catches: Zero, zilch, nada.
All-world receiver Justin Jefferson was held out of the scrimmage as another precaution and all indications are he is healthy and ready to go for the Sept. 8 season opener at Chicago.
Rondale Moore is on injured reserve. Jalen Nailor has a hand injury and wasn’t at practice. And then …
Rookie third-round pick Tai Felton went down with a hand or arm injury during the scrimmage and didn’t return. And then …
Jordan Addison, who has had an excellent training camp but is suspended by the NFL for the first three games, went down with a left hand or arm injury and didn’t return.
The injuries to Felton and Addison did not immediately appear to be serious, but still, it continues to not be a good or healthy summer for Vikings receivers.
So, Mr. McCarthy, are you as concerned about your receiver depth as the rest of Vikings Nation?
“I have no concern at all,” the second-year QB said. “I absolutely love our room. At the end of the day, I trust [coach Kevin O’Connell] and [General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah] to make the right decision and do whatever is best for this football team.”
The scrimmage featured several different situations, from red-zone work to second-and-longs to third downs to the offense backed up at its own 1-yard line. McCarthy completed 27 of 35 passes (77.1%), but don’t get too excited since most of the throws were dinks and dunks, a few of which might have been sacks had it been a fully live competition.
McCarthy completed 17 of 24 passes against the first-team defense and 10 of 11 against the second-team defense. The highlight was going 4 of 6 with two touchdowns against the No. 1 defense in the red zone. The touchdowns went to Jackson and Addison, who made an excellent contested grab over cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
As for the deep ball, well … what deep ball? There were some mid-range completions over the middle but the only deep-ball completion — to running back Aaron Jones — was negated by penalty.
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips spoke before the scrimmage and was asked if anything about McCarthy’s first full training camp had surprised him.
“Well,” he said, “we drafted him. We thought he was good. So that has not been a surprise.
“All of the intangible stuff outside of playing the position on the field is part of what attracted us to J.J. in the first place. He’s been phenomenal in that aspect. He’s going to learn and make some mistakes throughout just experience in our system. But he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”
McCarthy finished training camp with a high level of confidence despite having never taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game.
How high?
“Extremely high; the highest it’s ever been,” he said. “I feel like just looking at the guys around me and the coaching staff, that gives me all the confidence in the world.
“Knowing I have God at my back, at all of our backs, I just feel like I get goose bumps right now thinking about it. Extremely confident in the way we attack every day, put in the work. The rest is going to take care of itself. Having that confidence level as a precursor of the work that we put in, it really makes me excited.”
Startribune
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