Getty J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings.
There are few in the Minnesota Vikings community that rookie J.J. McCarthy hasn’t won over in a matter of months, however, former linebacker Erin Henderson is not convinced of the 21-year-old.
In response to McCarthy’s season-ending meniscus injury that he suffered in a promising preseason performance against the Las Vegas Raiders, Henderson questioned McCarthy’s resilience.
“Folks act like I couldn’t grab a McCarthy article and say the same things. I don’t need my franchise qb getting hurt just for dropping back,” Henderson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on August 15. “Dude ain’t faced enough adversity in life for me to get behind a comeback when you never got started.”
Undrafted in 2008, Henderson played six seasons, emerging as a starter during the Brett Favre era, for the Vikings before leaving in 2014 to play two more seasons with New York Jets.
Vikings Fans Defend J.J. McCarthy
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s safe to say Henderson’s post was not well-received by Vikings fans. It was “ratioed,” meaning there were significantly more replies than likes — a sign of general disagreement with Henderson’s opinion.
That only sparked a series of posts and replies from Henderson who did his best to define what he believes McCarthy lacks.
“It’s easy to be great when things are good,” Henderson wrote. “It’s the [tough] times that show the true character of a man.”
It’s easy to be great when things are good. It’s the though times that show the true character of a man.
One fan argument for McCarthy, whose character was a prime reason he skyrocketed up draft boards from his pre-draft interviews: “How much more character does a guy coming off a CFB National Title win need?”
“Character is what you do when Noone is watching,” Henderson replied, adding that he is unfamiliar with McCarthy’s journey to the NFL. “Adversity is the s*** you go through on a day to day basis you have to get over. Please let me know if this is not his 1st individual hurdle to overcome. [I don’t know] his whole story. Seems storybook [though].”
Henderson, who beat the odds as an undrafted free agent, playing eight years in NFL, admitted it wasn’t an easy ride off the field.
Several fans took shots at Henderson for being arrested twice while with the Vikings. He took ownership of his mistakes, which were a few examples of the adversity he dealt with during his career.
J.J. McCarthy’s NFL Journey Has Its Hurdles
GettyVikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy during warmups of a 2024 preseason game against the Raiders.
It’s not unfounded to question a prospect as decorated as McCarthy, who won national championships in high school and college. For a quarterback who never lost a game on a loaded Michigan team, it may seem that he had his championship ring delivered on a silver platter.
However, he’s faced enough adversity on the football field to take on the challenges of his upcoming recovery.
McCarthy suffered a shoulder injury at Michigan in 2022 that required several months of rehab. He made a full recovery, eventually winning the starting job over Cade McNamara, leading to his eventual 25-0 run as the Wolverines starting quarterback.
Off the field, McCarthy has shared insight into the mental health issues he dealt with during the pandemic. McCarthy moved from Illinois to Florida to play for national powerhouse IMG Academy due to Illinois shutting down the fall sports season that year.
While McCarthy grew up with a charmed life in the suburbs of Chicago, he admitted the peak of the pandemic and being separated from his foundation took its toll on him.
“My senior year at IMG Academy was during COVID and I went through a period of depression,” McCarthy said, per Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller. “I was in a really dark spot. I had a blessed upbringing and I never really knew what depression and anxiety was all about. Going through that alone and being isolated at a boarding school, I didn’t have many resources to help me out with mental health.”
McCarthy adopted a meditation practice he maintains years later, including a pregame routine where he meditates under the goal posts.
“I won’t go a day without doing it,” McCarthy told Coller.
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