The Minnesota Vikings' 2025 season has taken another sharp nosedive. After a 26-0 shutout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the team now sits at 4-8-firmly on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture.
That loss wasn’t just a defeat; it was a full-blown unraveling. The offense was lifeless, the defense couldn’t hold, and the quarterback play?
Well, it was rough.
Max Brosmer, filling in at quarterback, had a night to forget-four interceptions, zero touchdowns, and little command of the offense. Meanwhile, former Vikings QB Sam Darnold, now with Seattle, looked poised and unbothered despite facing a Brian Flores defense that brought pressure all night.
Darnold didn’t just manage the game-he owned it. That contrast only made Minnesota’s struggles under center more glaring.
So when head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Monday that JJ McCarthy is expected to return as the starter in Week 14 against the Washington Commanders, you’d think that would be met with optimism. But this isn’t your typical quarterback return story.
McCarthy, the 22-year-old former National Champion, is coming back from a stint in concussion protocol. But even before the injury, his performance had raised more questions than answers.
Through six starts, he’d thrown 10 interceptions to just 6 touchdowns, completing only 54% of his passes. Those aren’t just growing pains-they’re red flags.
And it’s not just fans who are uneasy. O’Connell himself hasn’t exactly offered a ringing endorsement of his young quarterback.
In recent weeks, the coach has been unusually candid about McCarthy’s development-or lack thereof. During a sit-down with KFAN’s Paul Allen, O’Connell laid out a laundry list of mechanical issues that McCarthy has yet to clean up: timing, touch, footwork, body control.
The message was clear-this is still very much a work in progress.
“We’ve got to start seeing the cement dry,” O’Connell said, referring to the fundamentals McCarthy has been drilling since he was drafted two offseasons ago. That’s not just coach-speak. That’s a public challenge.
And that challenge didn’t go unnoticed.
On ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, the Vikings were the subject of a rare but pointed segment. First, former NFL quarterback Alex Smith questioned whether general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s strategy-building a roster around a cheap, rookie-contract quarterback-has backfired.
It’s a fair question. The Vikings have talent across the board, but the quarterback position has held them back all season.
Then came the curveball. Tedy Bruschi, the former Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champ, turned the spotlight back on O’Connell. Bruschi didn’t mince words-he accused the head coach of “selling out” his own quarterback.
Bruschi’s take? By publicly airing McCarthy’s flaws-talking about foot placement, throwing base, leg mechanics-O’Connell may have done more harm than good.
“This is what’s wrong with this kid and this is why I can’t coach this kid,” Bruschi said, paraphrasing the coach’s comments. “These aren’t my words… this is what Kevin O’Connell said.”
That’s a strong accusation, and one that raises a deeper question: Was O’Connell’s honesty a sign of frustration with his quarterback, or frustration with the bigger picture-maybe even the front office’s decision to go all-in on a young, developmental QB?
It’s rare to see a head coach be this transparent about a first-round pick still early in his career. Most coaches protect their quarterbacks, especially when they’re still learning the ropes.
But O’Connell chose to be blunt. And now, with McCarthy set to return, the spotlight is going to be hotter than ever.
The Vikings are in a tough spot. They’ve invested in McCarthy as the future of the franchise, but right now, the present doesn’t look very promising. The team is struggling, the fanbase is restless, and the head coach is publicly calling for progress that hasn’t materialized yet.
Sunday’s game against Washington won’t just be about wins and losses-it’s going to be a referendum on where McCarthy stands in his development, and how much patience this coaching staff is willing to extend. If the cement hasn’t dried yet, it better start setting soon. The clock is ticking in Minnesota.