Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy just could not catch a break. He will likely be forced to sit out their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday due to the league's concussion protocol.
McCarthy experienced concussion symptoms on their flight home after their loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. He went 12-of-19 for 87 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions in the contest. He got sacked five times.
The second-year signal-caller has already missed five games this season due to an ankle sprain. He missed his entire rookie campaign last year due to a knee injury he suffered during the preseason.
Despite the early challenges in McCarthy's career, Vikings running back Aaron Jones expressed his support with a stern statement.
“I told him that the ones who counted you out, they're going to have to recount,” said Jones in a report from ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
McCarthy has had his fair share of naysayers due to his inability to stay on the field. Some have already labeled the 10th overall pick overrated or a bust. But people might be forgetting that he is only 22 years old, and he will only get better.
Echoing Jones, Minnesota star Justin Jefferson also maintained his belief in McCarthy despite the “rough transition.”
“I feel like just him learning these past couple games, and of course learning (during) the stretch of this season, I feel like he's going to bounce back in a different way than everybody else is going to think so,” said Jefferson in Seifert's report.
The Vikings are 2-4 in McCarthy's six starts.
