The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2025 season believing they were ready to build around a young franchise quarterback. Instead, they’ve found themselves staring at one of the most difficult questions an NFL team can face. What happens when the upstart QB you invested in looks completely overwhelmed? JJ McCarthy’s rocky first season as an NFL starter has left fans frustrated and the coaching staff scrambling for answers. At 4–7, Minnesota’s playoff hopes are fading. The struggles of their young quarterback are at the center of it all.
Promising roster sunk by QB instability
The Vikings’ 2025 campaign has been disheartening and chaotic. After their Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota now sits at 4–7. Much of the frustration centers around McCarthy, who took over as the full-time starter this year. Sure, expectations were high, especially after the team moved on from Sam Darnold. The results, though, have been tough to swallow.
Across his first six starts, McCarthy has completed only 54.1 percent of his passes. He has thrown six touchdowns and tossed 10 interceptions. His 57.9 passer rating ranks among the worst in the league. His accuracy issues have been jarringly persistent. Despite having elite weapons like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the offense has repeatedly stalled. Missed reads, late throws, and poor decisions have made this unit one of the NFL’s most stagnant groups.
Week 12 against the Packers felt like a new low. McCarthy finished 12-of-19 for 87 yards. He threw two picks and lost a fumble (which he recovered). The Vikings mustered just six points after 60 minutes. It was his fifth straight game under 65 percent completions and his third consecutive multi-interception outing. McCarthy also had his first game of the season with fewer than 100 passing yards. With Carson Wentz on injured reserve and no viable alternative, Minnesota has no choice but to keep playing McCarthy. That's even as his confidence appears shaken and his mechanics increasingly erratic.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss why McCarthy looks like one of the worst QBs in the NFL and if it's too early to give up on him.
Frustration nation
Even inside the locker room, the frustration is palpable. Star wideout Justin Jefferson, emotionally drained after the Week 12 loss, said:
“It's frustrating to be up here and say the same things every single week,” he said.
McCarthy echoed that sentiment with painful honesty:
“I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to do a lot of things better.”
The numbers paint an ugly picture. As of this writing, out of 71 quarterbacks who have started at least six games over the past decade, McCarthy ranks:
- 67th in completion percentage (54.1 percent)
- 66th in passing yards per game (154.8)
- 69th in interceptions (10)
He has also done it with an offense featuring three first-round picks on the line and Jefferson, Addison, and TJ. Hockenson as weapons.
One of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL?
Accuracy and decision-making issues
McCarthy’s biggest problem is that he’s not throwing the ball accurately. Whether it’s misfiring on shallow crossers, sailing deep balls, or failing to time outbreaking routes, his ball placement has been consistently off. He has also shown slow processing and poor decision-making. With those, it’s easy to see how the turnovers have piled up.
Regression since returning from injury
After missing time earlier in the season, McCarthy hasn’t looked the same. His passer rating since returning has bottomed out, and his confidence has disappeared. He’s locking onto first reads and hesitating in clean pockets. These are classic signs of a young quarterback overwhelmed by defensive complexity.
Impact on the offense
McCarthy’s struggles have neutralized Minnesota’s stars. Jefferson and Addison are elite separators. However, the ball rarely arrives on time. Drives stall, third downs become unmanageable, and the offense feels predictable because defenses don’t fear the passing game.
The Vikings aren’t losing solely because of McCarthy, of course. Still, he has unquestionably been the top contributor.
Is it too early to give up on him?
The case for patience
Here’s where the debate becomes complicated. Quarterback development is not linear. Many young passers struggled mightily early on before eventually stabilizing. McCarthy has shown occasional flashes like off-platform throws, scramble drills, and moments of anticipation. Those traits matter.
He’s also playing behind an inconsistent offensive line and learning a complex Kevin O’Connell system. Minnesota needs to see what they have. There is obviously no reason to bench him with Wentz hurt and the season drifting away. The rest of 2025 should function as an extended evaluation.
The organization’s investment suggests McCarthy deserves the rest of the season at minimum.
The case for concern
On the flip side, this isn’t a rebuilding roster at all. Minnesota has Jefferson, Addison, Hockenson, and multiple high-caliber linemen ready to win now. McCarthy’s early production is not just mildly concerning. It has been historically poor.
He performing worse than nearly every first-year starter of the last decade. As thingsstand, the Vikings must confront an uncomfortable possibility. If McCarthy finishes the season this poorly, they must bring in a legitimate challenger in 2026.
Too troubling to ignore
JJ McCarthy is playing like one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL right now. That much is undeniable. His play is costing Minnesota wins in a season where the roster was built to compete immediately.
That said, is it time to give up on him? Not yet.
McCarthy still possesses the traits that made him a first-round pick. Minnesota owes it to themselves and to their investment to give him the rest of the year to grow.
Still, the pressure is on. If this version of McCarthy is still showing up in December and January, the Vikings will have to act. The reality is that McCarthy's brutal debut season has Minnesota questioning everything.
