Adam Thielen Drops Honest Admission on J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy news has gone quiet of late. The Vikings have all but settled the quarterback position with the addition of expected starting quarterback Kyler Murray. Now McCarthy has gone from an unfairly designated punching bag to a likable figure to some of his critics.

The pressure is no longer on McCarthy to take the reins and lead Minnesota back to the postseason. With that, it's easier to acknowledge some of his more likable attributes.

One player who has not been a McCarthy critic is his 2025 teammate and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. Thelien unloaded his thoughts on McCarthy on the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast.”

“I just love his mindset. You’re around him for a couple of days and you can feel it. I was able to work with him as a rookie during the offseason when he spent time in Minnesota, and we got the chance to throw and work together a bit.

Then playing with him, you realize he’s just one of those guys. When you’re around him, you can tell he’s a winner. He understands that competitive edge, that chip on his shoulder, and he carries it with him.

He’ll be the first to admit there are areas where he needs to improve. He’s a young player, and it’s not hard to understand the challenges he’s faced. Being drafted high comes with big expectations, and then getting injured in your first year makes it even tougher."

In many ways, McCarthy is simply doing what he always did at Michigan before he was drafted by the Vikings with a Top 10 selection. McCarthy did not put up crazy numbers with the Wolverines in college. He simply managed the game until the fourth quarter and put the team on his back in the final period of play. Minnesota may not like that style of quarterbacking, but it is the prospect they should have known they drafted.

McCarthy has for a while been good in clutch moments, in both college and the pros. Both and third and fourth downs and in fourth quarters, McCarthy tends to elevate his play. For the Vikings, many of his offensive heroics were too little, too late, as the lack of early production put games out of hand.

The Vikings quarterback may become the franchise quarterback he was drafted to become, either in Minnesota or elsewhere. That said, now teams are aware of his starting point. McCarthy will look to become a complete player in 2026 and beyond as he enters his third NFL season.