Wolverine Digest

REPORT: Chicago Bears were 'close' to taking J.J. McCarthy with No. 1 overall pick

According to a report from The Athletic, the Chicago Bears were close to taking J.J. McCarthy with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Chris Breiler|
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings are hoping for big things from J.J. McCarthy this fall. After missing his entire rookie season last year with a torn meniscus, McCarthy is now fully healthy and looking to lead the Vikings on a run toward a championship.

That quest begins on September 8 when Minnesota opens the season on the road against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. For McCarthy, making his first NFL start in his home state of Illinois is the stuff that dreams are made of. And according to a recent report from Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the Bears were close to pulling the trigger on McCarthy with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

J.J. McCarthy
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

In a conversation with McCarthy's QB coach Greg Holcomb, it was revealed that Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles said they were close to using that No. 1 pick on McCarthy.

“He was talking about how much they (the Bears) loved J.J.,” Holcomb told Lewis. “And said to me, ‘I don’t think people realize how close we were to possibly taking him.’ Obviously, they love (No. 1 pick) Caleb (Williams), but I thought that was interesting.”

Ultimately, the Bears opted to use that No. 1 pick on Williams, McCarthy went No. 10 overall to the Vikings, and now both are set to square off in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season.

The article from Lewis goes on to detail McCarthy's mindset, and how he's handling the lofty expectations ahead of this season. With a team that seemingly has all of the necessary weapons to make a Super Bowl run, McCarthy's play will have a massive impact on whether or not the Vikings reach that ultimate goal. It's safe to say this is one of the most highly-anticipated seasons for Vikings fans in quite some time, and McCarthy is at the center of it all.

You can read the full story from Lewis below:

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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