Few players and coaches in Michigan football history have had a relationship as close as Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy.
Two of the key architects of the 2023 national championship, as well as three conseutive Big Ten championships, are now in the NFL chasing different dreams.
Harbaugh is looking to win a Super Bow with the Chargers. He made the game with the 49ers, when he was the head coach, but lost to his brother John Harbaugh, and the Ravens.
McCarthy, the two-year starter for Michigan football and top-10 pick of the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft, is looking to become the starting quarterback for Minnesota this season. He got injured last year during the preseason.
However, after the franchise didn't re-sign Sam Darnold, and also passed on signing Aaron Rodgers, it became clear that the starting job was McCarthy's to lose.
This season, the Chargers and Vikings are set to play. Here''s what the former Michigan football head coach had to say about taking on McCarthy.
“A beloved son, J.J,” Harbaugh said on the Rich Eisen Podcast. “That’s one, yeah, it’ll be nostalgic now, but I know once we gotta … I’m just envisioning playing. He’s a tremendous competitor. It’s great. You get a little nostalgic about it, and just so happy for each and every one of the guys. And now you’re talking about long and trusting friendships.”
“Vikings fans are going to be really happy, as well, with J.J. McCarthy,” Harbaugh added. “People get worried, [but] that’s the nature of the business. The predictions of what’s going to happen is for the palm readers. But for J.J. McCarthy, [former Michigan tight end and No. 10 overall pick to the Chicago Bears] , all of us, this is about each day — attacking each day, see if we can’t make today better than yesterday, see if we can’t make tomorrow better than today and have at it."
It will be interesting to see what McCarthy does as a starter, yet, many pundits have criticized him, saying that he was carried by the running game at Michigan. That's not true, of course, he was the best third-down quarterback in college football his junior season.
McCarthy has always been elite and in 2025, he'll finally get to show it, even with Jim Harbaugh on the opposing sideline.