EAGAN, Minn. -- It's almost time for the debut of J.J. McCarthy: Take 2.
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback got a quick two-game taste of the NFL this season before a high right ankle sprain sidelined him for five games. While he was out, a debate raged: Had he been too inexperienced to open the season as the Vikings' starter? Should they have re-signed 2024 starter Sam Darnold or late-2024 addition Daniel Jones, or perhaps inked free agent Aaron Rodgers?
After all, McCarthy had produced one magical quarter -- accounting for three touchdowns in a Week 1 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears -- and seven shaky quarters in his two-game stint.