The Minnesota Vikings have a young quarterback trying to find his NFL way as they open against a rival. However, O’Connell used a Michael Phelps analogy to describe how teams have failed their young quarterbacks.
O’Connell said it’s mind-boggling the way NFL teams approach the quarterback situation sometimes, according to ESPN.
“In what world do you go from wearing a life vest and learning how to swim to being thrown in the deep end in the middle of a 200-meter freestyle against Michael Phelps?” O’Connell asked. “We decide in this league very quickly whether a guy can or can’t play quarterback like it’s a simple yes or no: This is the guy or this isn’t the guy; let’s either have a parade in the streets or let’s move on and try and find another one.”
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell mentoring young QB
O’Connell has his hands full with J.J. McCarthy, who is a second-year player. However, McCarthy missed all of the 2024 season because of an injury. That makes him a rookie in NFL reality.
He is trying to avoid missteps he has seen before, according to his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show via ESPN.
“I believe organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy’s words drew amens from NFL observers, including former Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians.
“He’s dead on,” adds Bruce Arians, a two-time Coach of the Year and a Super Bowl winner with the Buccaneers in 2020. “No one gives these kids a chance to develop anymore.”
Three-time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman agreed, “If you have to say who fails who the most, it’s the team failing the quarterback.”
What happens this year with McCarthy is one of the big mysteries for the 2025 season. With talented receivers like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, McCarthy certainly has a chance to succeed. It will be interesting to see if O'Connell has the same kind of level-headed patience if McCarthy goes off the tracks early in the season. Will he stick with him in the way he's calling for other NFL teams to do?
