If there were any doubts about J.J. McCarthy in the NFL, the fourth quarter of Monday Night Football wiped all of those away. After being down for the first three quarters of the matchup against the Chicago Bears, McCarthy led an impressive comeback to win 27-24 and give himself his first-ever win in his first start in the NFL.
After the win, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell spoke to the team as a whole and gave McCarthy a lot of props, expressing that he was poised throughout the game and never quite on anyone in that locker room. With a rushing touchdown and two passing touchdowns in the second half, McCarthy led this team to a win.
"This is the beginning," McCarthy said. "I think we proved something to ourselves tonight, we know what we got in the tank, and let's let it out every week."
Awesome: #Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell giving props to JJ McCarthy in the locker room after Monday night’s thrilling comeback win over the #Bears.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 9, 2025
JJ is so electric. 🔥
(🎥 @Vikings) pic.twitter.com/QhIwFPgGue
While technically this is McCarthy's second year in the league, this will count as his rookie season, as he didn't appear in any games last year due to the knee injury he suffered in the preseason.
Even though he struggled early on in the game, McCarthy finished 13-for-20 with 143 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and an interception. He also had two carries for 25 yards and a rushing touchdown. The pick-six he threw in the third quarter was his biggest mistake he had all night, but he was able to pull it together to lead his team to a comeback.
McCarthy still has a lot to learn when playing in the NFL, but as a captain in his rookie season and leading this team, he is showing good things so far. The fact that his team trusts him as much as they did last night against the Bears shows that he has already won that locker room over.