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Vikings Locker Room Went Nuts for J.J. McCarthy After Kevin O'Connell's Fiery Speech

Rookie quarterback made a lot of believers with fourth quarter heroics.

Kyle Koster

J.J. McCarthy celebrates with teammates after comeback victory.
J.J. McCarthy celebrates with teammates after comeback victory. / ESPN
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It is not hyperbole to suggest that a narrative surrounding a quarterback has never shifted as violently and quickly as it did for J.J. McCarthy during the fourth quarter of his NFL debut on Monday night. For three quarters the Michigan product, playing his first game after missing the entirety of last season with an injury, was quite pedestrian and looked a long way off from being the franchise's answer at quarterback.

Then he looked poised and polished as Minnesota put 21 unanswered points up to secure a 27-24 as McCarthy proved capable through the air and with tough running. Now the overreaction machine is swinging in the other direction.

Whether McCarthy is destined for greatness is something that can be decided with future evidence. What's clear right now, though, is that he has earned the respect of his teammates and coach.

Listen to the introduction Kevin O'Connell gave him in the jubilant locker room.

That's authentic joy right there. Hard to imagine a better way to start one's NFL life than by engineering a divisional road comeback with grit and guile and having everyone in the organization wake up over the moon about future prospects.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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