From the moment the Minnesota Vikings’ regular season ended against the Green Bay Packers on January 4, fans turned to the 2026 offseason with high hopes that J.J. McCarthy would improve over the following eight months and be ready – – plus better than ever in his third year.
Now, with two games of preseason proof, there’s evidence that McCarthy might’ve regressed, rather than improved.
Has J.J. McCarthy Gone Backward?
Preseason Struggles against 2nd-String Defenders
It just didn’t seem possible that McCarthy would perform poorly in preseason games. After all, in his first-ever preseason game two years ago, the guy balled out. That feels like decades ago.
Through two exhibition games, McCarthy is 9-of-17 for 115 yards with no touchdowns, and the Vikings failed to produce a touchdown on any of his drives. Against Baltimore, the Ravens rested their starters, yet McCarthy still missed open throws and finished 5-of-10. The Giants also sat veteran defensive starters while McCarthy operated Minnesota’s second-team offense.
A former top-10 pick entering Year 3 should look comfortable against backup defenses. Instead, McCarthy has looked tentative and inaccurate. His preseason showings – – 2024, 2025, 2026 – – seem to be going in reverse if one chooses to rank them. The first (2024) was the best. The most recent is the worst.
It should be the other way around.
The Processing Speed Just Isn’t There
In the aforementioned 2024 preseason game, McCarthy acted decisively and played on schedule. Versus New York and Baltimore, he’s about 0.5 seconds late – – on everything.
During training camp, onlookers mentioned the contrast between Murray moving through progressions and McCarthy holding the ball while routes developed. It’s especially awkward because Minnesota simplified portions of the offense for McCarthy in 2025.
When McCarthy played decisively last December – – during the Vikings’ five-game win streak – – the results improved dramatically. As folks debate his processing speed eight months later, the consistency evidently hasn’t registered. If McCarthy cannot sync his mind, feet, eyes, and arm, 1st-round upside is a bit pointless.
The guy’s processing speed is supposed to be getting better, not regressing.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said in August 2025 about McCarthy, “We talk a lot about fast eyes, fast feet, but ultimate conviction when the ball leaves your hands. It’s something that’s an acquired thing.”
“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.”
One year later, McCarthy’s processing speed is in question – – and might be worse.
Can Processing Speed Improve?
Processing speed can indeed improve, and that’s the primary reason not to dismiss McCarthy just yet. He’s only 23 and has just 10 regular season starts.
Justin Jefferson even noted this spring that McCarthy has greatly improved his ability to read coverages and anticipate throws. There were moments late in 2025, too, where the game appeared to slow down for him. Repetition can certainly enhance anticipation, especially within a complex offense.
Still, that improvement must eventually translate to gamedays. Entering Year No. 3, Minnesota can’t keep evaluating McCarthy based on “what ifs.” The crucial next step is for McCarthy to prove that his development is heading the right way.
The 2026 preseason, so far, shows the opposite.
Vikings Fans Wanted Fran Tarkenton, But May Have Got Another Christian Ponder
Comparing McCarthy to Christian Ponder is premature and uncomfortable, but it doesn’t feel wildly unwarranted in the summer of 2026.
The Vikings selected Ponder 12th overall in 2011, hoping he’d turn into their long-term franchise quarterback. Instead, he started 36 games and was gone after four seasons. McCarthy was drafted even higher at No. 10, so the stakes are equally high.
No one is suggesting McCarthy’s career will derail like Ponder’s after only 10 starts. But the underlying worry is that he could become another 1st-round quarterback whose passing accuracy and processing fail to meet expectations. Fans had hoped for something close to Tarkenton. That’s not the case yet – – at all.
McCarthy seems eerily similar to Zach Wilson.
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VikesNow Verdict: Nobody anywhere expected regression to become Minnesota’s McCarthy conversation this summer, but two shaky preseason appearances have put the possibility on the table.
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