Despite reports that Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has struggled at training camp, his head coach, Kevin O’Connell, is not worried.

Here is what O’Connell had to say:

“He wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think he had the skillset required to play this offense. Does that mean that it has to be from day one, otherwise we’re all gonna make some flash judgment of what he is or isn’t. That’s not how I’m gonna roll… This is a minute-to-minute thing of growth and development.”

McCarthy, who missed all of last season with a torn meniscus after being selected 10th overall in the 2024 Draft, is one of the most highly anticipated redshirts in recent NFL memory. His illustrious career at the University of Michigan earned him that high draft selection, but he has also faced skepticism due to the immense surrounding talent in Ann Arbor.

But anyone who watched McCarthy with the Wolverines knows what he brings to the table. For one, he can make nearly every throw in the book. That does not mean Michigan asked him to do that every game or drive, but he has demonstrated incredible arm talent.

McCarthy is also a terrific athlete. In this spread-out, quarterback-friendly, passing iteration of the NFL, he should have no problems with play action, rollouts, or zone reads.

But, perhaps the most tantalizing aspect of McCarthy is what he brings off the field. He famously advised Michigan fans, during its dreadful COVID season, to stay calm. He delivered on that promise and brought the school a National Championship just three years later.

This is also an O’Connell offense we’re talking about, not some rag-tag junior varsity operation. O’Connell wanted McCarthy for the job, and it should not be long before he dissipates the skeptics.