Justin Jefferson believes in J.J. McCarthy, but also knows patience is key

Justin Jefferson's quarterback for the first four years of his career was Kirk Cousins, who was in his ninth NFL season when Jefferson was a rookie. Then it was Sam Darnold, who was a bit younger but still in his seventh year during his breakout 2024 campaign.

This year will be a little different. Jefferson's quarterback is now J.J. McCarthy, a second-year player who is a rookie in terms of game experience, having missed all of last season due to a meniscus tear. Jefferson, like the rest of the Vikings, knows some patience will be required with their 22-year-old QB as he gets his first taste of real NFL action.

"You definitely have to have patience," Jefferson said after the second day of training camp practice on Thursday. "He's pretty much a rookie. Last year pretty much doesn't count for him. So he's still new to the scheme, new to coming out here and throwing it to these different receivers. So yes, you have to have that patience. You're not really expecting him to have the same mindset as a veteran. You can't really have that expectation from him."

#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson says you “have to have that patience” with JJ McCarthy:

“He’s pretty much a rookie… you’re not really expecting him to have the same mindset as a veteran. You can’t really have that expectation from him.”pic.twitter.com/fiIi3GHsP9
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) July 25, 2025

That's just a matter-of-fact assessment of reality from the Vikings' superstar face of the franchise; McCarthy doesn't have the benefit of experience that Cousins and Darnold did. But don't get it twisted and interpret that comment as Jefferson — who was directly asked about patience with McCarthy — saying his quarterback isn't a good player right now. The Vikings are very high on last year's tenth overall pick, who is constantly growing and developing.

"We do have an expectation of him being great, him coming out here every single day and working his butt off and progressing every single day, and we do see that progression just on the second day of camp," Jefferson said. "So it's coming along for him. I feel like you can see the confidence that he has out there."

By the time the regular season opener rolls around on September 8, McCarthy will be about as mentally prepared and battle-tested as a quarterback can be ahead of their NFL debut. Not only did he have all of last season to get acclimated to the league behind the scenes, he's now going against a loaded, Brian Flores-coached defense every day in training camp. That experience will help prepare him for all kinds of looks, including when it comes to how teams cover Jefferson — who sees more defensive attention that perhaps any other skill player in the sport.

"Coach Flores has one of the best defenses to disguise and not allow the quarterback to read the coverages, so I feel like coming out here and going against our defenses and seeing the different looks against them — and they double team me out here, too," Jefferson said. "Getting those different looks that we're gonna get throughout the season, that definitely is great for him to get that every single day, especially with the group that we have on defense."

Jefferson and McCarthy aren't starting from square one in terms of building their chemistry. They got a few reps in last year before McCarthy's injury, and they've been banking tons of work together over the course of this offseason. That process started in OTAs and continued with workouts away from the team over the summer break. As with every quarterback he's had, one thing Jefferson is trying to instill in McCarthy is that even when might not look open, he's an option.

"Talking with J.J. and being his locker mate, I feel like he definitely has his head on straight and he has that confidence to go out there and to perform every single week," Jefferson said. "I'm just trying to get him more confident into giving me those throws where it is double coverage or I might not look totally open. It comes with preparation and him seeing it on the field."

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