Jared Allen knows a thing or two about what it takes to win in the NFL. So when the Vikings legend voices concern about J.J. McCarthy, it’s worth paying attention.
Allen isn’t writing off the young quarterback - far from it. He sees the potential. But as the Vikings head into a pivotal 2026 season, Allen's message is clear: potential only matters if you're on the field.
“My biggest question mark right now is, can the kid stay healthy?” Allen said during an appearance on the Up & Adams Show.
“I think he has some grit. Obviously, he has some good potential, but you got to stay healthy, you got to stay on the field in this league.
I think that's the problem.”
And he's not wrong. McCarthy’s NFL journey has been stop-and-start from the jump.
After missing his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus, the 23-year-old suited up for just 10 games in 2025. A late-season hand injury in Week 16 cut short what was shaping up to be a promising finish.
In total, he’s played in just 29 percent of Minnesota’s games since they traded up to draft him 10th overall in 2024.
That’s not the kind of availability you want from your franchise quarterback - especially when the rest of the roster is built to win now.
Minnesota’s receiving corps, headlined by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, is among the league’s elite. Allen, who spent six seasons terrorizing quarterbacks in purple and gold, understands the urgency.
"My biggest question is can [J.J. McCarthy] stay healthy... If you can't stay healthy you can't stay the starter."
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 11, 2026
HOF'er Jared Allen expresses what concerns him the most about the Vikings QB@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/IYvnWsJxUa
“From a Vikings standpoint, you're looking at one of the best receiving corps in the league,” he said. “How long can we sustain?
We got a defense that finished the league red-hot, but everybody's getting older. Every year they get older and those pieces start to fall off.
So you're waiting for J.J. to mature by year five, six, seven, all of a sudden Justin Jefferson is 10, 12 years in. The whole dynamic changes.”
That’s the crux of it. The Vikings aren’t in a rebuild.
They’re not in a holding pattern. They’re in a window - one that may not stay open much longer.
The defense came alive down the stretch last season. The offensive weapons are in place.
What’s missing is consistent, healthy quarterback play.
Statistically, McCarthy’s 2025 campaign was a mixed bag: 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 57.6% completion rate. But context matters.
He closed the year strong, posting seven total touchdowns to just three turnovers over his final four games before the injury. That stretch showed flashes of the player Minnesota hoped they were getting when they made him a top-10 pick.
Now, the question becomes whether McCarthy can build on that momentum - and whether his body will let him.
Allen’s concerns are rooted in reality, not pessimism. He’s seen firsthand how quickly windows can close in the NFL.
The Vikings have the talent to make noise in 2026. But if McCarthy can’t stay on the field, that noise might be more of a whisper than a roar.
This is shaping up to be a defining year for McCarthy - and for the Vikings. The clock is ticking.