The Minnesota Vikings quarterback position is one that has been under tremendous scrutiny. Perhaps no one has been under more scrutiny at the position than J.J. McCarthy. The quarterback position itself is held to a different standard than other positions on the field. SKOR North’s Phil Mackey discussed this and how it applies to Dallas Turner.
Vikings Have Taken Slower Approach With Turner
The Vikings have taken a very slow approach with Turner, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. That has allowed him to develop. Taking a look at Turner’s role for the team, it has grown each season exponentially. His rookie season came in 2024. That year, he was looking to make an impact in the rotation. He did that, playing in 16 games in totaling 20 tackles and three sacks. Metrically, his Pro Football Focus defensive grade was 64.2.
2025 saw him take an even bigger leap. The defensive playmaker played in 17 games, and recorded 66 tackles and eight sacks. His Pro Football Focus defensive grade was 74.8. So far this season, he has been able to make a massive impact both on and off the field. He was named team captain ahead of the season, and has recorded two tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in one game.
Mackey Makes His Case For Vikings
Turner’s development took a little bit of time, and that is something that Mackey believes McCarthy would not have gotten.
“But I think if you were to go back in time and still draft McCarthy 10th overall, you would just decide immediately Jordan Love Plan. Minimum two years. maybe a third year. But especially after the lost first year where he wasn’t practicing on that torn meniscus, they would have been better off, quite frankly, if they decided, ‘Hey, we’re not starting McCarthy in year two, but we also like we can’t give (Sam) Darnold $100 million because at some point we want to start McCarthy, so we need more of a year-by-year option’. Then they should have been more aggressive on Daniel Jone, but also they would have been better off with Aaron Rodgers in that case, too.
But like, If you had decided immediately., ‘He’s resting for two years, he’s learning for two years, and then we will see in year three, people would have criticized that approach, just like they have with the Packers, and we’ve poked at the Packers for that, too. But yeah, that would have been a better path than the stop starts, the injuries, just being thrown into the fire. Kevin O’Connell not yet running the football at the rate that you probably need for a guy like J.J. McCarthy.”
McCarthy Had Unique Development Path For Vikings
McCarthy’s development is a little bit more of a complicated story. The Michigan product did not even play in his rookie season due to medical reasons. He was out with a torn meniscus, which did not bode well for on-field development. In fact, the first real case of on-field development did not begin until the 2025 season.
2025 saw him record 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He had a 60.1 Pro Football Focus passing grade. Although those were not spectacular numbers, he did have some key games. This included Week 14 against the Washington Commanders. He had three passing touchdowns and a 100.4 passer rating.
Another instance where he performed at a high level came against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. He recorded 250 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He had a 90.5 overall offensive grade for the game. The quarterback showed he could command an offense despite his injury issues last season.
Now, the Vikings no longer have him in their starting quarterback plans whatsoever.
It is definitely worth noting that expectations are a bit different with quarterbacks drafted that high. McCarthy was viewed as a potential franchise quarterback. Turner was viewed as a first-round talent on the defensive line. There is a premium placed on franchise quarterbacks. There is a little bit more flexibility in regards to defensive lineman.
Perhaps it’s because of the nature of the position. Perhaps it’s because every team would like to find their franchise quarterback. Whatever the case may be, Mackey’s assessment is certainly not too far off. The wait-and-see approach probably would not have been given as much leeway.
In any case, the case study of two different positions is certainly fascinating. It’s also just a reminder of how unforgiving the NFL can be.
Vikings Insider Makes Packers Comparison Over J.J. McCarthy