Justin Jefferson’s Got Two Words for J.J. McCarthy

The verdict is still out on J.J. McCarthy’s trajectory as a long-term starter for the Minnesota Vikings, but wide receiver Justin Jefferson believes McCarthy has youth on his side. When asked recently to describe McCarthy in two words, Jefferson didn’t hesitate, replying, “Young bull.”

Jefferson didn’t overthink it — his short answer landed as a real endorsement as Minnesota leans toward McCarthy.

McCarthy faces a crucial Year No. 3 in the NFL, and the 2026 campaign will tell all about his immediate future.

Jefferson’s Two-Word Message for McCarthy

No one has ever questioned the man’s youth.

Jefferson on McCarthy

Yahoo Sports caught up with Jefferson this week, asking him to play the Word Association Game, and the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year obliged.

Between the interviewer and Jefferson, the conversation went like this: “J.J. McCarthy? Young bull. Sam Darnold? Doubted. Drake Maye? Unpredictable. Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Smooth. Puka Nacua? Feisty. Justin Jefferson? Icy.”

Jefferson has been asked rather frequently in the last several weeks about McCarthy, and his answers remain consistent: Jefferson has his back.

“His Quarterback”

Kay Adams chatted with Justin Jefferson two weeks ago, and the conversation quickly turned to Minnesota’s quarterback conundrum. She asked about McCarthy’s future as the 2026 QB1.

Jefferson said, “That’s not my decision. I don’t care who’s throwing me that ball. That’s not my main priority. That person that’s throwing that ball needs to throw that ball, and lead us to into that big dance at the end of the season. As of right now, JJ is my QB. For me, it’s to get him to where we need to go; it starts off right now in the offseason and getting better now.”

While that sounds like a vote of confidence for McCarthy, the “as of right now” caveat is notable. Jefferson’s statement leaves open the possibility, perhaps intentionally, that the team might pursue a quarterback through free agency or trade.

Jefferson added, “If you look at the film, he’s done very good things. Obviously, it wasn’t the most spectacular thing, those are things he understands that there are some things to work on. JJ is a really good QB.”

McCarthy’s Wacky 2025 Performance

McCarthy performed all over the board in 2025. He started the season with an absolute bang, winning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in his first-ever start after delivering a 4th Quarter comeback at the Chicago Bears. Fans rejoiced. A week later, he suffered a high ankle sprain and missed five games. He returned on the road at a hostile Detroit Lions house and played quite well in a crucial win.

Then, the doldrums set in. McCarthy struggled with basic quarterback functionality, seeming to get hot only in the 4th Quarter with the game on the line. A brutal three-game stretch after the high ankle sprain ended with a concussion against the Green Bay Packers.

When McCarthy returned from the concussion, he tore apart lousy defenses, sponsored by the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants, even looking like a fringe Pro Bowler in spots.

Of course, he sustained a hairline hand fracture at New York. The injury woes continued.

The Vikings finished 2025 knowing they had a young quarterback with the juice for big-time throws, questionable mechanics, a clutch gene, and an utterly alarming tendency toward injuries.

He May Have to Win a Battle

When the 2025 season ended, head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to reporters at his year-end press conference, proclaiming his team’s goal was to create a deep quarterback room this offseason. That seemed to put McCarthy on notice — or at least insinuate that a veteran quarterback was on the way to compete with McCarthy.

Most believe Minnesota will find a way to add a prominent quarterback in the coming weeks, a list that might include Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Malik Willis, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, or Geno Smith.

SI.com‘s Mark Morales-Smith wrote about the possibility of Murray joining the Vikings, “This would be an ideal landing spot for Murray. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has proven that he can get the most out of quarterbacks and was the coach who helped Sam Darnold turn his career around.”

“Murray has shown significantly more upside and potential than Darnold did before heading to Minnesota. If he landed in Minnesota, he would immediately sneak his way into the low-end QB1 conversation heading into the 2026 fantasy season.”

The Vikings could also add a better QB2 — they preferred Sam Howell, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer last season — like Jimmy Garoppolo or Gardner Minshew, instead of Kyler Murray or Mac Jones type.

We shall see who enters the mix to challenge the Young Bull. Free agency is 17 days away.