In what is becoming a worrying trend for the Minnesota Vikings, their first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a rough start to the game once again. After struggling mightily over the first three quarters against the Chicago Bears in Week 1, it was a similar story during the second week, this time against the Atlanta Falcons.
Over the half, the former first-round pick was far more accurate, completing eight of his 11 passes for 118 yards. However, his movement was close to none, with eight yards on three carries. Additionally, the Vikings were struggling to move the ball, with just three points on the board and McCarthy registering an interception. As a result, fans were quick to turn on the youngster after a second consecutive slow start.
What Are NFL Fans Saying About J.J. McCarthy?
Coming out of the first week of the 2025 season, there were very few players who had a higher approval rating than McCarthy. Despite struggling for three quarters, he completely flipped the script in the fourth.
Down by 11, he led a furious rally with three touchdowns, including one on the ground, to register a 27-24 victory for the Vikings. Instantly beloved by the Minnesota fan base, it erased almost all of the question marks he came into the game with.
However, his performance against the Falcons has once again brought those same questions into the limelight. After a rough first half, fans were quick to call out his play, with one fan going so far as to call him “overrated.”
JJ McCarthy’s pocket presence so far this season is… not Great.
— Skippy Cox (@Skippy15275) September 15, 2025
The biggest problem for the former first-round pick has been his work in the pocket itself. One fan claimed, “JJ McCarthy’s pocket presence so far this season is… not great.”
Jj mccarthy try not to run into a sack challenge. Difficulty-impossible
— Cannon Robinson (@CannonRobinson1) September 15, 2025
Others joined in, with one fan poking fun at the quarterback by saying, “J.J. McCarthy try not to run into a sack challenge. Difficulty-impossible.” With the frequency and brutality of hits increasing by the minute, the situation was quickly getting worrisome for Minnesota.
McCarthy is gonna be hurt if he keeps getting hit like this
— John Beck (@johnebeck) September 15, 2025
One fan even wrote, “McCarthy is gonna be hurt if he keeps getting hit like this,” while others claimed that it was a by-product of his play rather than a fault of the offensive line. “JJ McCarthy is just trying to do way too much.”
JJ McCarthy is just trying to do way too much
— FuLLStop Picks (@FullstopPicks) September 15, 2025
Some fans, though, were already done with the youngster. One wrote, “@Vikings I will never trust Jj McCarthy.” Others went a step further, claiming that it was going to be a long year for the organization, especially with a ton of standalone primetime games on the schedule.
@Vikings I will never trust Jj McCarthy
— x275dean (@X275DEAN8) September 15, 2025
“This dude McCarthy is dogs**t and there are still hella Primetime’s left where he will be featured.” The comparison shifted to his predecessor on the team, a resurgent Sam Darnold.
This dude McCarthy is dogshit😂 and there are still hella Primetime’s left where he will be featured
— FrankO 🅿️ (@Franklon69) September 15, 2025
Leading the Vikings to 14 wins last season, it was a shocker when Minnesota chose to move on from the former New York Jets star despite his success with the franchise. But for some fans, the decision was wrong.
Sam Darnold was a shit ton better than JJ McCarthy. Minnesota tweaked
— G (@CannabissuerG) September 15, 2025
As one fan wrote, “Sam Darnold was a s**t ton better than JJ McCarthy. Minnesota tweaked.” Another agreed, “The Vikings are stupid as f*** for getting rid of sam darnold for jj mccarthy.”
It is the scoreline at the end of the game that is ultimately going to decide the verdict on the young quarterback. But after consecutive slow starts, the situation might get worrying for the Vikings as the competition starts to increase.
Last year, even with 14 wins, they bowed out in the wild-card round to the Los Angeles Rams. While McCarthy was able to overcome a slow start in Week 1, that needs to be an exception rather than the norm for Minnesota to have a realistic chance in the NFC.
