JJ McCarthy Beats Drake Maye Without Playing a Snap After Vikings Passed on Rodgers for 3-Year Window

Sometimes, the most compelling victories happen off the field. Think Joe Montana watching Steve Young from the 49ers sideline in ’91—a silent ‘torch-pass’ wrapped in uncertainty. History doesn’t always roar; sometimes, it whispers through depth charts and analyst rankings, as in the case of JJ McCarthy & Drake Maye.

Like Savage Sports tweeted: “Wow ok. Per: @PFF. Drake Maye is the 22 ranked QB going into 2025. JJ McCarthy is ranked 21. He didn’t play a single snap in 2024. 🤔” Let that marinate. JJ McCarthy, the Vikings’ mystery man who spent his rookie year rehabbing a torn meniscus, just outflanked Maye—New England’s Pro Bowl rookie—without taking a single regular-season snap. How? By banking on what could be over what was.

While Maye scrambled behind one of the league’s arguably worst O-lines last season—posting 2,276 pass yds, 15 TDs, and 10 INTs—McCarthy studied Kevin O’Connell’s offense in VR headsets. Minnesota’s faith never wavered, even when Aaron Rodgers lingered like a $13.6 million question mark. How do they stack up against each other, though?

Nevertheless, if we study both quarterbacks, we can find their three most outstanding features each:

Drake Maye

• Arm talent: Known as a “deep-ball sniper” with a cannon arm and strong touch

• Aggressive dual-threat: He led UNC with almost 900 rushing yards in 2022. Shows frequent big plays, but can overextend—needs to refine risk-taking into game management

• Mechanics: Some footwork inconsistencies; projects as a high-ceiling “boom-or-bust” QB

J.J McCarthy

• Precise and polished: Excellent footwork, good accuracy, and high-pressure poise

• Mechanical critique: Tendency to overstride and “fastball” delivery may limit touch throws; less deep-ball flair

• Patience pays: Viewed as more NFL-ready with a high floor; analysts compare him favorably to Maye for stability

Although McCarthy’s ascent isn’t just stats—it’s ‘vibe’. At Michigan, he drew smiley faces on his hand to remember joy amid pressure. He meditated barefoot by the goalposts. He donated NIL cash to children’s hospitals. His 27–1 college record? Not luck. It’s his The Lion King philosophy: ‘Everything the light touches is our kingdom.’ The light surely exuded the peeps @PFF.

The McCarthy mandate: Ceiling over certainty in Minnesota’s championship chase

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler dropped the truth bomb: “The Vikings’ plan is clear. They saw this as a three-year window, right now, to win a championship, with a really good quarterback [McCarthy] they like on a rookie deal. They can build around him with some pieces. So they’re going to go for it without Rodgers, officially, now.”

O’Connell, who’d trained with Aaron Rodgers in San Diego years ago, faced a legacy-defining choice. He chose McCarthy’s ceiling over A-Rod’s sunset. “I was very honest about my feelings towards J.J., my obligation that I felt like we’re going to give him the best possible situation to begin and thrive on this NFL journey,” O’Connell told KFAN. Rodgers, meanwhile, signed a prove-it deal in Pittsburgh for a year. As NFL Network’s Stacey Dales noted, “I think he’s still got football in him. He’s got a lot to prove.”

But for J.J., it’s preparedness touching opportunity. PFF’s eval says it all: “I’m leaning on my personal evaluation here, as I had McCarthy as the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft… If he’s fully healthy in 2025, and considering what Sam Darnold managed in this offense, McCarthy is set up to succeed.”

Now, Rodgers gets his revenge arc. Week 4 in Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t just a game—it’s Brett Favre 2.0. Favre once followed his mentor to Green Bay and beyond. Now, he’ll try to bury Minnesota’s new hope. But the Vikings? They’re all-in on the kid who beat Ohio State twice, won a natty, and turned 72.3% completions and a 1.20% INT rate at Michigan into ‘gridiron fairy dust’. Maye’s got Pro Bowl flair, but McCarthy’s got something rarer: belief without proof. And in the NFL, belief builds dynasties!