Latest news with #J.J.McCarthy
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vikings' Justin Jefferson Dealt Disrespect Due to J.J. McCarthy
Vikings' Justin Jefferson Dealt Disrespect Due to J.J. McCarthy originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Justin Jefferson has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. The former first-round pick is the top weapon of the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Advertisement At 26, Jefferson already has multiple league and franchise records to his name. He has earned the Pro Bowl honor in four of his five seasons and is the only player to eclipse the 7000-receiving yards mark in their first five seasons. The star WR also has the most 100+ yard receiving games before turning 26. Despite his exceptional performance, Jefferson still might not be getting the respect he deserves. During an episode of "The Rich Eisen Show," host Rich Eisen listed the top non-QBs in the NFL. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18)Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images "I'm going Ja'Marr fourth, Saquon three, Justin Jefferson two," he said. Jefferson was put ahead of the reigning Super Bowl champion, Saquon Barkley, but the Cleveland Browns' DE Myles Garrett topped the chart. Eisen went on to explain the reason behind his choice. Advertisement "I think the only reason why people wouldn't have Justin Jefferson to top all these folks is because they don't believe in the trigger man in Minnesota," he said. McCarthy was picked as the No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but a knee injury in the preseason opener kept him away from the action in his rookie season. Everything points to the 22-year-old taking the Vikings' QB mantle in the upcoming season. Jefferson put up great numbers as Sam Darnold's go-to target last season, catching 103 passes for 1,533 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. But Darnold has parted ways with the Vikings and has inked a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Eisen clarified that Jefferson is still the best out there, but doubts about McCarthy have kept the wide receiver away from the tag. Advertisement "But Justin Jefferson is still the man, the best, the guy, at the position in the NFL with all due respect," he said. J.J. McCarthy starts his rookie year with plenty of help. Jefferson will be his top target. The backfield features Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Ryan Kelly and Will Fries bring experience up front, while rookie Donovan Jackson adds young talent. The Vikings secured a 14-3 record in the regular season last year. They missed out on the top seed as they lost to the Detroit Lions in the Week 18 clash, who clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 15-2 record. The Los Angeles Rams crushed Jefferson's dreams of a Super Bowl, handing the Vikings a 27-9 loss in the Wild Card Round. Jefferson has some unfinished business for the 2025 NFL season, and McCarthy will play a crucial role in getting the job done. Advertisement Related: NFL Insider Reveals J.J. McCarthy's Interesting Offseason Training Details Related: Lions Star Names Vikings Justin Jefferson Among Top 5 WRs in NFL This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF gives some interesting player comps to predict J.J. McCarthy's 2025 season
J.J. McCarthy has had to delay his debut for the Vikings by a year due to a torn meniscus suffered in his first preseason game for the team last August. Fast forward 10 months later, everyone within the team, media, and fanbase are excited to see what he is going to look like for the Vikings. Everyone has weighed in on what a good season could look like and what a bad one could look like. The folks at Pro Football Focus decided to take it a step further and paint a picture with some player comps for how the season may go. PFF's John Kosko wanted to give ceilings and floors for second-year quarterbacks while projecting how their season may go. When it came time to discuss J.J. McCarthy and his second year with the team, Kosko gave quite a wide range of results for the former Michigan Wolverine signal caller. The ideal result would include him having a season similar to that of Joe Burrow, while a worst-case type of season would be similar to what we saw from Sam Darnold. "McCarthy wasn't asked to carry the national-championship Michigan team, but when he needed to, he delivered. While he wasn't elite at generating big-time throws, nor was his turnover-worthy rate spectacularly low, McCarthy excelled under pressure and when facing the blitz. His success rate in both situations ranked third in the class, behind Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Darnold's career looked over until his incredible 2024 season with the Vikings. Assuming McCarthy is better than Darnold for his career isn't a stretch, but nothing is ever a guarantee at quarterback." Burrow is an MVP candidate every single year he plays a full 17-game schedule for the Bengals, so that comp is music to Vikings fans' ears. Now, the Sam Darnold comparison may spark some nightmares for fans after last season's dramatic and sharp fall from a high. Whatever the results may be for McCarthy, the support from the defense, offensive line, and skill players should be enough around him to give him every chance to succeed this season and beyond.
Fox Sports
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL Predictions, Odds: Which Teams Will Make The Playoffs?
The 2025-26 NFL season will be here before we know it. Teams have wrapped up minicamps, and training camps are just around the corner. And now it's time for bettors to look ahead to which 14 teams will make the playoffs this year, considering that the field will consist of seven squads from the AFC and seven from the NFC. Who will it be? Here are the early odds to make the playoffs in the 2025-26 NFL season as of June 25 at DraftKings Sportsbook. To make the 2025-26 NFL playoffs Bills: -750 (bet $10 to win $11.33 total) Ravens: -550 (bet $10 to win $11.82 total) Eagles: -400 (bet $10 to win $12.50 total) Chiefs: -380 (bet $10 to win $12.63 total) Lions: -230 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total) 49ers: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total) Buccaneers: -175 (bet $10 to win $15.71 total) Bengals: -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total) Commanders: -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total) Rams: -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total) Chargers: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total) Texans: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total) Packers: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total) Broncos: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total) Vikings: +115 (bet $10 to win $21.50 total) Cardinals: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total) Steelers: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total) Patriots: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total) Bears: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total) Seahawks: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total) Falcons: +155 (bet $10 to win $25.50 total) Dolphins: +155 (bet $10 to win $25.50 total) Jaguars: +155 (bet $10 to win $25.50 total) Cowboys: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total) Colts: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total) Panthers: +230 (bet $10 to win $33 total) Raiders: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total) Titans: +370 (bet $10 to win $47 total) Jets: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.50 total) Saints: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total) Giants: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total) Browns: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total) Out of the 14 teams that sportsbooks view as clear playoff contenders for the 2025-26 season, 12 made it to the postseason last year. The Buffalo Bills reached the AFC Championship Game, where their playoff run ended with a 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, in turn, lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. It's no surprise that all three of these teams, along with the Ravens, are seen as top contenders to make the playoffs. In the NFC, the Detroit Lions had a historic run during the 2024-25 regular season, finishing with a 15-2 record, the best in franchise history. Detroit earned the No. 1 seed, securing a first-round bye but ultimately fell 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round. Two playoff teams from last year that aren't favored to return to the postseason are the Steelers and the Vikings. While Minnesota reached the wild-card round in 2024, the squad lost quarterback Sam Darnold and will now turn to J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft. As for the Steelers, they've also seen some changes at the QB position. Pittsburgh acquired four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, who is nearing the end of his career. Additionally, the Steelers have a tough road ahead with a difficult schedule. The teams with the most consecutive playoff appearances since 2000 are the Patriots with 11 (2009 to 2019), Chiefs with 10 (2015 to 2024), Colts with nine (2002 to 2010), Packers with eight (2009-2016) and Bills with six (2018 to 2024). Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Minnesota Vikings have unique placement in Madden 26 beta team ratings
A lot of weird here, but first and foremost, HOW ARE THE EAGLES AND JETS 9TH??!? (For different reasons) We're getting close to the beginning of football season, which means we're also approaching the release of Madden 26. The game usually gets criticized for not evolving year-to-year and features numerous gameplay bugs. But we don't have to wait for the game to drop to begin complaining about this year's version. EA Sports released their beta Madden ratings this weekend. The Vikings received an 83 overall rating, tied for 15th with the Atlanta Falcons. It's probably a fair rating as we await J.J. McCarthy's first season as the starting quarterback, although the Vikings should have a strong supporting cast on both sides of the ball. However, the quarterback is the most important position, so it is what it is. The rest of the ratings are baffling. The Cowboys are rated 88 overall, tied for 5th in the league with the Lions. Philadelphia, fresh off a Super Bowl victory, is tied for 9th with an 86 overall rating. Further perplexing is that they're tied with the Jets. To cap it all off, the Washington Commanders, who went 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game, are 78 overall, third-worst in the league. So once again, EA Sports and Madden are upsetting fans, but it is early in the process, and the game hasn't even dropped yet. Let's hope the Vikings are near the top as the season progresses. That would probably mean McCarthy is showing that he is the quarterback that the Vikings envision.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Vikings and Brian O'Neill have to figured out what is next for them ahead of 2025
The Vikings prioritized their offensive line this offseason as they prepared to get J.J. McCarthy back from injury after he tore his meniscus last preseason. They know how important that group is to his success which is why they have been so proud of their work in maintaining it over the years. That brings us to a recent piece by Bleacher Report, in which analyst Moe Moton discussed one candidate from every team who needs a new contract before the new season kicks off. For the Vikings, that was right tackle Brian O'Neill. O'Neill is set to be a free agent in 2027 after his rookie extension expires. However, the language in his extension makes getting a new contract done sooner rather than later a priority for him and the team. Moton writes, "O'Neill has been one of the league's best right tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed two sacks while on the field for 664 pass-blocking snaps. The eighth-year veteran tackle is coming off his second Pro Bowl season, and he has no guaranteed money left on his contract. He signed an extension in 2021 and is overdue for another." O'Neill was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh and immediately proved his importance to the team. He started immediately, and success followed him in the form of two Pro Bowl selections. At the end of his next deal, O'Neill will be 32 years old, which is still young enough for an offensive lineman to have some tread left on the tires. I wouldn't expect this to lead to a divorce, but perhaps a nice anniversary present in the form of a reworked contract that is friendly to both him and the team.
