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It was announced on Tuesday that Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has been suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the upcoming season for violating the league's substances of abuse policy. While Addison will bear the brunt of the sanction, it could also impact Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the preseason. Now, he is eager to prove his worth and assure the Vikings that they made the right decision in drafting him as the 10th overall pick.
While McCarthy has been beaming with optimism in training camp, NFL analyst Marcus Spears offered a pragmatic view. All eyes will be on the 22-year-old signal-caller the moment he sets foot on the gridiron, and for Spears, McCarthy should know his identity.
“Here's the deal, as a rookie quarterback coming into a system with all the confidence in the world, and what Kevin O'Connell has been doing offensively, we saw him resurrect Sam Darnold's career, JJ McCarthy was the guy they chose, right? So right now, it's about positioning him,” said Spears on ESPN's “NFL Live.”
“But I think ultimately for a young quarterback, now it's about finding within.”
"For a young quarterback, now it's about finding within."@MSpears96 says the Vikings should focus on playing mistake-free football early to set up J.J. McCarthy for success ✍️ pic.twitter.com/vxfc2lrDPU
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 5, 2025
In light of Addison's suspension, Spears also noted that McCarthy lost a valuable target, making his first few games even tougher. Spears stressed that the Vikings should create other opportunities for McCarthy to shine and allow him to play his game.
“It may be more of, like, ‘Let's play mistake-free football, let's find the plays where he can be explosive downfield.' But more importantly, play a complementary game until you have your four requisite weapons, with Jordan Addison coming back because he did develop into a deep threat for Sam Darnold last year,” added Spears, who played nine seasons in the NFL.
“JJ McCarthy is going to want to have that back before they start opening this offense up.”
With Darnold now with the Seattle Seahawks, McCarthy has been handed the keys. It's now up to him to unlock the Vikings' strength.
