Earlier than Minnesota Vikings working again Aaron Jones shared a locker room with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Jones and future Corridor of Famer Aaron Rodgers had been teammates with the Inexperienced Bay Packers from 2017 by way of the 2022 season.
Jones not too long ago claimed that he sees a few of Rodgers in McCarthy heading into what may develop into a franchise-altering marketing campaign for the Vikings.
“[McCarthy] is a really, very hungry and pushed participant, but in addition a frontrunner,” Jones defined, Sports activities Illustrated’s Matt Verderame shared. “He’s completely different. When it comes to the smarts, I put him in that class with Aaron Rodgers, when it comes to how sensible he’s and actually having an understanding for the sport.”
That is excessive reward contemplating Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and a Tremendous Bowl MVP who’s considered probably the greatest quarterbacks in NFL historical past. That mentioned, no person is aware of what McCarthy might be as a professional after the 2024 first-round draft choose spent his first NFL season recovering from a meniscus repair.
McCarthy returned to the enjoying area when he accomplished 4 of seven go makes an attempt for 30 yards in Minnesota’s 20-10 preseason win over the Houston Texans on Saturday. He additionally examined his surgically-repaired knee when he used his legs to choose up a primary down on a fourth-and-4 scenario within the sport’s first quarter.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell may’ve pushed for the membership to re-sign Sam Darnold after he guided Minnesota to a 14-3 document final season. O’Connell and Co. had “conversations” about probably signing Rodgers earlier than McCarthy obtained the keys to the Minnesota offense forward of coaching camp.
Jones appears to consider O’Connell and Co. made the correct name.
“He’s been superb,” Jones added about McCarthy. “I’m actually assured in what we now have right here. I really feel like we now have every thing we’d like, all of the items we’d like right here. I really feel like J.J. goes to shock lots of people.”
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Vikings seventh among the many betting favorites at +1100 odds to symbolize the NFC in Tremendous Bowl LX.
Will probably be fascinating to see how McCarthy handles the strain when Minnesota opens the common season with a “Monday Night time Soccer” matchup on the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8.
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