With J.J. McCarthy‘s first full season as a starter in the rearview, the Minnesota Vikings are rightfully skittish about hitching their hopes entirely on the young quarterback like they did last offseason.
While McCarthy has flashed upside playmaking, his decision-making and health have come into question many times this season.
Most recently, McCarthy pulled himself out of the team’s season finale victory over the Green Bay Packers after aggravating a fracture in his right hand during the third quarter. McCarthy was seen on the sidelines holding a towel over his hand, which became a point of intrigue during the game broadcast.
Few analysts have a better pulse on the Vikings locker room than Ben Leber, who spent five seasons playing linebacker for the team in the late 2000s. Leber was taken aback by McCarthy’s behavior in the final game of the regular season, noting the “optics” and “theatrics” as troubling.
Ex-Vikings LB Ben Leber Addresses JJ McCarthy Pulling Himself Out of Packers Matchup
Appearing on KFXN FM-100.3, Leber spoke openly about McCarthy’s reaction to the injury, ringing more alarms than necessary, especially given the concerns about how injury-prone he has been throughout his career.
“I don’t love the theatrics of it. I don’t love the optics of it. There’s so much drama that’s that’s surrounding that you don’t need to place a towel over your hand,” Leber said. “It’s not melting. There’s not a bone sticking out. It’s not disfigured. It’s not harming anybody by looking at it.”
Leber, who later praised McCarthy for his natural playmaking ability, gave reason why the optics of his hand injury are vital, given his injury history.
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“I think that he’s got a lot to learn about just the body language, the behavior, the outward optics of how things look,” Leber added. “To pull yourself off mid-series after one pass play in which it seemed everything was fine. … Me personally, I would probably push through it as much as I could, you know, get through this series. And if you have a couple throws where you are errant and you are inaccurate and it looks like you can’t grip the football, I would choose to have them pull me off the field.
“I don’t love what it kind of means for him. I mean, for a guy that has battled injuries and has this mark on him as far as a reputation of not being healthy, I don’t know. I would have gutted through it.”
Ben Leber Weighs in on JJ McCarthy’s Future With Vikings
McCarthy’s handling of his hand injury may have been a microcosm for how his season has gone. The 22-year-old has been a lightning rod for scrutiny and under a microscope that is subject to only first-round quarterbacks.
However, Leber isn’t out on McCarthy despite a tough first season as a starter.
Leber compared Carthy’s playmaking to Lamar Jackson, noting the Baltimore Ravens quarterback’s ability to overcome sub-par performances with a handful of plays that can tilt a game.
“Those are plays that I feel like McCarthy can make. There’s an elusiveness. There’s a playmaking ability,” Leber said. “There’s a little kid playing backyard football that is inside of him that I actually like. I think it’s a positive thing. We saw a little bit of yesterday. I actually think that means that he can grow into what they want him to be as far as a pocket passer and commanding the huddle a little bit more and making some of those throws.“
However, McCarthy must mature on and off the field and improve his decision-making with the ball in his hand after throwing more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11) this season.
“I think he’s still wildly immature mentally. I think to be a leader, I think that matters. And I’m not so sure that’s something that he’s going to mature into in his time here — if he’s got if he’s got a long runway, which I think that runway is shrinking dramatically,” Leber said, referring to McCarthy’s rookie deal expiring in 2028. “So I’m still on the still lean positively, but it definitely will waver depending on who we bring in this offseason.”
Former Vikings LB Voices Frustration With JJ McCarthy’s Behavior