Vikings Sit J.J. McCarthy Again, But Coach Kevin O’Connell Sees Big Signs of Progress

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t planning to play J.J. McCarthy in Week 2’s preseason matchup against the Patriots, and it’s not surprising given his cautious approach. Coming from the Sean McVay coaching tree, O’Connell has embraced a strategy of protecting his young quarterback while building confidence and rhythm in practice.

"To go out there and execute the way he did, it felt decisive," O’Connell said Thursday of McCarthy’s performance in joint practices with the Patriots. "It felt incredibly -- an incredible amount of conviction to some of the decisions that he made, location of the football, a lot to build on."

McCarthy, who is essentially a rookie in game experience after his 2024 season ended early due to a knee injury, echoed his coach’s optimism.

"The offense was humming as a whole," McCarthy said. "I feel like the physicality up front really set the tone, and just the way we're able to execute and be precise; but it all starts with the boys up front. They did a tremendous job today."

He added that the team executed well in both the running game and passing game, with improved ball placement and precision on routes, though he admitted there are still throws he wants to improve.

Despite the urge to see McCarthy in game action, O’Connell prefers to focus on practice performance over preseason snaps. He believes developing fast eyes, fast feet, and confidence in decision-making in practice will pay off once the regular season begins.

"Look, I’m well aware of the eyes on a guy that maybe didn’t get a lot of the visual work for everybody, but I operate under the pretense of a lot of confidence that if we coach things and we have the right kind of guys and we emphasize the right things that the results will come," O’Connell said.

Vikings fans will likely have to wait until Week 1 against the Bears on Monday Night Football to see McCarthy tested in a real game setting. By that point, O’Connell believes his young quarterback will be ready to take the next step.