After a torn meniscus sidelined JJ McCarthy before he could throw a single NFL pass, the Vikings‘ first-round pick became a question mark. So, when he appeared on the sideline during Minnesota’s Jan. 5 loss to Detroit, thinner, quieter, and out of uniform, no doubt, he looked less like the franchise’s future and more like a name you had to Google. But inside the locker room, things were different.

Veteran TE TJ Hockenson spent his early NFL years catching missiles from Matthew Stafford in Detroit. He knows arm talent when he sees it. But with JJ McCarthy, it wasn’t just the spiral. It was the substance. “That’s my guy,” Hockenson told Chris Long on the Green Light Podcast. “We spent four straight days together on a golf trip. Talked ball, life, everything. And you just feel it with him. He asks the right questions. He listens.”

For a team quietly betting its future on a second-year quarterback coming off injury, those little things, the ones fans don’t see, matter most. The public hasn’t seen the velocity yet, but Hockenson has. And he didn’t hesitate to make the comparison. “I told him, ‘I remember catching passes from Stafford, and it was one of those balls that zips on you.’ JJ’s got that juice. It’s a tight spiral, humming in the air.” Those words don’t come easy from a player who’s shared huddles with Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs, and even Sam Darnold.

But for Hockenson, McCarthy isn’t just a quarterback with a ‘sick arm.’ Minnesota needs someone who can pick up the rhythm before the tempo shifts. TJ thinks JJ could catch up pretty quick. A tempo that Darnold has literally served the rookie on a platter before leaving.

Just a few months ago, he was the one wearing purple and gold, carving up defenses with unexpected ease through the first five games. Now, he’s cashing in on a $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. For Hockenson, there’s no bitterness in the handoff. “Sam was a boy, man,” he said. “You could tell he’d been through things, but he handled camp with poise. And when Flores was dialing up chaos, Sam stood tall in it. Watching him early in the season? Electric.” The Vikings knew what they had. Now Seattle will be living it.

But while Darnold’s exit grabbed headlines, the real focus in Minnesota shifted inward—to McCarthy’s rehab, and his reintegration into the physical demands of the game. By the time training camp opens, he’s expected to be back near his listed 219 pounds. Because while Brett Rypien remains the only other quarterback under contract, all roads point to McCarthy being the one asked to lead this thing forward.

And T.J. Hockenson seems to know that, too.  You’re just going to have to see it when it comes around,” he said. And the tone wasn’t promotional. It was quiet confidence. But the Skol Nation wants to know in numbers, not words. So, here’s one comparison.

Analyst reveals what Minnesota should expect from JJ McCarthy

So what does a “good year” look like for JJ McCarthy? That’s the million-dollar question in Minnesota right now. And Albert Breer went digging. He didn’t throw out some vague line. Instead, he gave fans something concrete. Something visual. A real blueprint. “The one I came up with,” Breer said, “if you want a roaring success… is actually Deshaun Watson in 2018.”

And that’s not just lazy box-score math. Remember Watson’s rookie arc? (If you are from the Dawg Pound this is your cue to take it with a pinch of salt). He didn’t start the opener. Took over in Week 2. Got hurt. Missed the rest of the year. Sound familiar? That’s McCarthy to a T—except JJ didn’t even make it out of camp thanks to a torn meniscus. But the point is clear: the physical setback doesn’t erase the promise. If anything, it delays the reveal.

So, Watson came back in Year 2 and went off. Over 4,000 yards, 26 touchdowns, just 9 picks. He had DeAndre Hopkins as a true WR1. McCarthy’s got Justin Jefferson. Same juice. Meanwhile, that Texans team had an O-line led by Dwayne Brown. The Vikings? They’re not elite up front, but it’s a functional group. And don’t forget Kevin O’Connell, a quarterback-friendly head coach running a scheme tailored to rhythm throwers like JJ.

Now, Breer isn’t handing out Hall of Fame jackets here. He’s laying out a measured path: “Right around 4,000 yards, 26 touchdowns, 9 picks—that seems like a reasonable goal.” Not outrageous. Not conservative. But reasonable given the setup McCarthy’s walking into. A loaded offense. A clear runway. And a coach who won’t ask him to be Superman in Week 1.

So if McCarthy even grazes that Watson-level production? Then the Vikings may have quietly pulled off the rarest feat in pro football—solving a quarterback in Year 2.