How's J.J. McCarthy looking? Vikings June 2 OTA practice takeaways

It wasn't the sharpest practice for the Vikings' quarterback, though nothing matters too much this time of year.
Vikings players at TCO Performance Center ahead of OTAs on June 2, 2025.
Vikings players at TCO Performance Center ahead of OTAs on June 2, 2025. / Will Ragatz
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The Vikings held their fourth practice of the Organized Team Activities (OTAs) phase of their offseason schedule on Monday, and the second one open to members of the media. It was a sunny early-June afternoon in Eagan, with temperatures in the low 80s. 15-20 mile-per-hour winds created a nice breeze for spectators, but definitely made it difficult for the quarterbacks trying to throw footballs to their intended targets.

That wind is an important part of the context when it comes to the biggest takeaway from the day, which is that it wasn't a very sharp practice for QB1 J.J. McCarthy. It was quite windy, with hats blowing off of staffers and various pieces of equipment getting blown over at times. Results in this portion of the offseason — which Kevin O'Connell commonly refers to as the "teaching and learning phase" — don't ever mean much. This is about installing plays and getting McCarthy comfortable operating the offense. Add in some rough wind conditions, and no one should be putting too much stock into a tough day.

Nonetheless, that's what it was. I was unable to attend last Wednesday's OTA, the first one open to the the media, but all accounts are that McCarthy look quite good in that practice. This one didn't go as smoothly. In live 7-on-7 action (all 11-on-11 reps were done at half speed), McCarthy threw an interception to new cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who undercut an outbreaking Jordan Addison route on the left side of the field. (Rodgers, it should be mentioned, looks very promising and is in line for a big role this year). There were also several plays where he held onto the ball for long enough that he would've been sacked in real action, then eventually rolled out or found a check-down.

In a red zone period towards the end of practice, McCarthy couldn't quite connect with T.J. Hockenson on a seam route in the back of the end zone, though it was a potentially catchable ball. He then threw incomplete to Jalen Nailor in the end zone, with Jeff Okudah breaking it up. There were certainly some quality throws mixed in — including a few connections with Justin Jefferson — and the zip McCarthy is able to put on his passes continues to be impressive. It wasn't his best practice ever, but again, that really doesn't indicate much of anything.

Here are some other observations from Monday's session:

  • Jefferson made an absolutely ridiculous one-handed catch on a deep ball during individual drills. Watching him play football is a sight to behold every single time.
  • Nailor looks like a player to keep an eye on this year. He's in a contract year, he has a new number (83 is out, 1 is in), and he appears to have put on some muscle this offseason. He'll be an important part of the Vikings' offense as their No. 3 wide receiver, and he might be needed as the No. 2 for a few games if Jordan Addison ends up receiving a league suspension.
  • Okudah is getting plenty of work with the first-team defense at cornerback. With Mekhi Blackmon still in the final stages of recovering from last year's torn ACL, Rodgers and Okudah are the top two guys alongside Byron Murphy Jr. at that spot. It'll be interesting to see if the Vikings can unlock something in Okudah, the 2020 No. 3 overall pick who is now on his fourth team in any many years. Rodgers also appears to be in the mix to return punts.
  • There were at least a few reps in half-speed 11-on-11s where Dallas Turner was on the field with Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Now that Pat Jones II is no longer around, we should see plenty of snaps on obvious passing downs where all three of those guys are out there.
  • Undrafted rookie QB Max Brosmer looks pretty solid. He gets the ball out quickly and made nice throws to Myles Price and Tai Felton in the red zone period. I don't know if it's realistic for Brosmer to beat out Brett Rypien for the QB3 job behind McCarthy and Sam Howell, but it feels like the Vikings will at least want to find a way to keep him around on the practice squad.
  • Injury-wise, Will Fries remains out, Blackmon isn't a full participant yet, and two players — Rondale Moore and rookie TE Gavin Bartholomew — were working on a side field. Also, Josh Metellus and Blake Cashman were present but did not seem to be participating in 7-on-7s. Metellus is a candidate for a potential contract extension this offseason.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.