Reports are flying that J.J. McCarthy might not even make the Minnesota Vikings team, but seriously, are we all losing our minds? With one last preseason game for players to make an impression, the chatter around McCarthy’s depth chart position is hitting fever pitch. Some outlets are even speculating he could be flat-out released. This “idiotic idea,” as it’s been called, started with Florio and quickly spread, but anyone looking at the numbers knows it’s pure nonsense.
The Money Doesn’t Lie, Folks
Let’s talk cold, hard cash because that’s what makes the NFL world spin. If the Vikings were to actually release McCarthy, they’d be staring down another $3.775 million dead money cap hit. That’s on top of his existing $5.96 million cap hit, which is a brutal pill to swallow for a team trying to manage their finances. Sure, they’d get that $3.775 million back in additional 2027 cap space, but that’s a problem for next year, not now.
What about a trade, you ask? If they could pull that off, they’d save an additional $2.781 million in cap space this year and another $3.775 million in 2027. Sounds nice, right? Problem is, it’s so close to the start of the season. What team is going to give up anything significant for a guy who’d have to learn a whole new system on the fly? I’d be absolutely shocked if they moved him now, though I’ve seen stranger things happen in this league. The bottom line is, the team doesn’t *have* to do anything drastic. They just need to keep developing him and guiding him along.
KOC’s “Don’t Overthink It” Philosophy
While everyone on social media is over-analyzing every single mistake J.J. McCarthy makes, let’s remember what Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell actually said about developing quarterbacks. He hopped on a podcast last year and laid out his whole thought process for evaluating QBs during training camp. KOC straight up told his guys he doesn’t care if they throw interceptions in practice!
“There are so many things in society, not even just football nowadays, where we want to decide in a moment this guy can or can’t, this guy’s a success or failure. And it’s just not in…” O’Connell explained. He then hammered it home, saying, “There’s not enough time in the day for me to explain all the reasons why you’re wrong. We’re going to go into the quarterback room, we’re going to watch it, and we’re going to get better tomorrow.” This is key for all the armchair coaches watching practice reps and thinking they know who’s “winning” the competition. KOC wants his QBs to be aggressive, learn from mistakes, and use those situations as opportunities for growth. It has to be tough for McCarthy seeing all this social media noise, but the coach’s message is clear: focus on getting better.
There’s one more preseason game left for these guys to make their mark. For McCarthy, the stakes are not about getting cut, they’re about showing that steady growth KOC talks about. It’s about continuing his journey, not ending it before it really begins.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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