There was this stretch at Michigan where it almost felt like JJ McCarthy was driving a Ferrari in cruise control. He wasn’t airing it out 40 times a game—not because he couldn’t, but because he didn’t need to. The Wolverines under Jim Harbaugh’s coaching leaned on the run. Blake Corum was punching in touchdowns like clockwork (nearly 2,700 rushing yards and 45 TDs in 2022 and 2023), and Donovan Edwards was slicing defenses in half (nearly 1,000 yards in 2022).

And McCarthy? Even during their title run in 2023, Michigan didn’t ask JJ to be a hero—they just needed him to be sharp, efficient, and not mess up what the run game already had cooking. He ended that season 15-0 without ever needing to shoulder the entire offense (he still completed 72.3% passes in his last season at Michigan). But that’s the thing—now in Minnesota, no Corum or Edwards is waiting in the backfield. That Ferrari? Yeah, it’s finally his to drive at full speed.

After spending his rookie season on the sidelines, McCarthy is returning for his full sophomore season. He’s the starting QB of the Vikings now that they’ve parted ways with Sam Darnold. And that means only one thing: McCarthy needs to get out of his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh’s, shadow, and will have to lead a team that is entering the 2025 season with Super Bowl aspirations. Unlike any other rookie or second-year QB.

Minnesota had high expectations for JJ in his rookie season. But the former Wolverines’ quarterback went down to a torn meniscus during the preseason game. And just like that, his rookie season was over even before he took the first snap. Sure, McCarthy was unlikely to start last year, but things have changed in Minnesota in the past year.

Because let’s face it—Darnold had set a benchmark last season for every quarterback who is going to lead the Vikings’ offense.

McCarthy is coming with the winningest résumé under his belt. We’re talking a 27-1 record in his final two seasons at Michigan. No wonder he was the highest-drafted QB in franchise history. Sure, Jim Harbaugh’s team relied heavily on heavy running, but the 22-year-old QB turned heads in the final couple of seasons in Michigan.

Now that he’s under QB ace Kevin O’Connell, he’ll need to take more chances at the Vikings, especially in the passing game. Something that he didn’t do much under Harbaugh’s coaching in his collegiate career. He isn’t going to be crowned with greatness this year, no doubt. But the Vikes are expecting him to develop in the next three years.

What’s the three-year plan of the Vikings for JJ McCarthy?

Coming off a rookie season-ending injury, everyone’s monitoring JJ McCarthy. And why not? The QB is the expected franchise QB of the Vikings. “I know I’m ready to start, because of all the work I’ve put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and just being able to do my job,” McCarthy had said a couple of months ago. Cue the Vikings’ OTAs, and if the reports are accurate, the 22-year-old QB had notable practice sessions.

He had his ups and downs, but Coach O’Connell and Co. aren’t worried about that. Why? Because they aren’t in a hurry to make JJ a star overnight. They know he’s not read just yet, and that’s totally fine with them. They’re expecting him to reach his pinnacle by 2026 or maybe, just maybe—by 2027. And while talking about the former first-round pick, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler revealed the Vikings’ three-year plan for JJ McCarthy on the June 14 episode of the Sports Center.

“They didn’t sign (Aaron) Rodgers and went with McCarthy because they believe in their three-year plan,” Fowler noted. “A young quarterback, they like on a rookie scale, so they’ll be aggressive on the roster without him (Rodgers). They believe they can win a Super Bowl in the next three years.” It’s something that McCarthy did at Michigan.

The young QB served as a backup in his freshman year. Fast forward a couple of years, and he already had a 27-1 record and he was a CFP national champion, Rose Bowl Offensive MVP (2024), and Big Ten Quarterback of the Year nod in 2023. And now? Well, the Vikings are hoping for JJ McCarthy to develop in a year or two and lead the team to glory. Plain and simple.