(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
A new era of Minnesota Vikings football has begun, with the team recently drafting University of Michigan star quarterback J.J. McCarthy to be Kirk Cousins’ successor under center.
With McCarthy now in the fold in Minnesota and a quarterback battle about to take place in training camp between the rookie and veteran Sam Darnold, things will get interesting for the Vikings with the team about to find out what they have with the Wolverines product.
Apparently, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is not taking it easy on McCarthy as he gets his NFL career underway, with the rookie getting encouraged to be aggressive during practice sessions in order to learn as quickly as possible.
According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, O’Connell wants aggressive play from the first-year pro for “trial and error purposes,” which seems to be a way to make him feel free while also learning the ropes of the game on the professional level.
“O’Connell said he encourages aggressiveness in practices like Friday’s for trial and error purchases. McCarthy will try a pass, see if he can fit a ball into a window, and file away that data point,” Lewis said.
According to @Alec_Lewis, #Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell encourages aggressiveness in practices for J.J. McCarthy for trial and error purposes
“O’Connell said he encourages aggressiveness in practices like Friday’s for trial and error purposes. McCarthy will try a pass, see if… pic.twitter.com/1ZhZ9bJJwO
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 11, 2024
As of right now, there’s no telling whether McCarthy will be the starting quarterback for the Vikings come Week 1, but things will start to get interesting in Minnesota once the mandatory minicamp begins in the first week of June.
However, it seems that O’Connell has no intention of going through a slow process with McCarthy, meaning he could very well end up being the starter once the season begins.
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