In general, I like to consider myself an optimist. Whether it’s life or sports, things are really never as bad as they may seem at the moment. While some of my attitude may come from a hopeful place, one that believes things will always turn around eventually, it’s also grounded in the stark reality that, as a Minnesota Vikings fan, sports-related disappointment is a part of my DNA.

All that said, things are getting pretty grim. The J.J. McCarthy discourse has been a battleground for hot takes all year, going back to this off-season, and McCarthy’s performance so far hasn’t done anything but fan the flames of discontent. He’s been so polarizing that it’s beginning to tear the fanbase in half.

Pundits, media members, bloggers, and fans are beginning to pick their sides in this issue and entrench themselves further with each passing game. The second matchup with the Chicago Bears was the latest disappointment on this rollercoaster ride of a season, and one of McCarthy’s worst outings as a passer. McCarthy had more egregious misses in the rematch with Chicago than even his worst performances this season.

As counterintuitive as it sounds, amidst his worst game as a passer yet, McCarthy showed improvement in some of the areas that had plagued him earlier in the year.

His footwork was much cleaner than his awkward heel-clicky performance against the Baltimore Ravens, and he was much more in lock step with the tempo of the play. The team broke the huddle and managed the play clock much better, something that was a huge bugaboo for the offense earlier in the year. Even reading the defense and processing post-snap seemed better, as we more often saw McCarthy throwing in the broad, general direction of the open receiver.

With all that positive talk, you’d think he took a big step forward, and yet he didn’t. He got worse. For every problem he solved, another popped up. McCarthy isn’t properly torquing his body on many of these throws, so he’s throwing with just his arm, creating massive variations in velocity and accuracy. He seems to have no concept of which passes require touch or juice, and even his lone touchdown pass hung in the air so long it probably should’ve been intercepted. And while McCarthy did a decent job reading the defense on most plays, the killer mistakes still showed up on a few occasions and turned into back-breaking turnovers.

Worst throws of week 11

Via fanalyzesports on TikTok pic.twitter.com/BKaxU2Sdpd

— Thomas Sullivan (@Yfz84) November 17, 2025

Fixing McCarthy’s issues as a quarterback feels like a game of Whack-a-Mole. Just as soon as one problem is solved, another takes its place. He’s likely having to spend so much conscious effort not falling into one bad habit that others are forming on the fly.

If all that sounds utterly exhausting and deeply disappointing for the heir apparent whom the Vikings drafted in the top 10 to lead this franchise, I completely agree with you. Especially when you look at his draft class and see star-level play from Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, flashes of potential from Caleb Williams, and even competence out of Bo Nix, it’s hard not to feel like the franchise completely blew it.

On the flip side, those arguing it’s way too early to give up on McCarthy have a valid point. As a matter of principle, I feel obligated to stand firm with McCarthy. Young quarterbacks need time, and there are clearly tools with McCarthy that could turn him into a franchise quarterback in the future. I love his mental makeup. He’s got plenty of arm strength and athleticism, and he seems totally dedicated to the work necessary to get better.

Make no mistake, the easiest path to success for this franchise is that they stay patient with McCarthy’s development, and they get rewarded for it, and they absolutely should continue down that path. Stop comparing him to Josh Rosen; he’s an entirely different player, and it would be irrational and reckless to move on after a single season as a starter.

1. Cut JJ McCarthy, officially declaring him a bust

2. Sign McCarthy, former draft bust, and have KOC fix him

— Skol Cole (@SkolSmith) November 17, 2025

But the biggest thing I want you to take away from this wishy-washy, back-and-forth argument is that it’s totally reasonable to hold either of these two opposing opinions, and no one should judge you for it. Frankly, I won’t judge you if you switch between the two extremes based on the day. Above all else, don’t let anyone call you a hater for being deeply, fundamentally concerned about the direction this is headed. Because it’s not going well, and it’s so profoundly essential that it does.

The entire construction of this organization hinges on J.J. McCarthy. They used top-10 draft capital on him, and their investment is far greater than that. This roster is aging and expensive, and is the kind of group that the front office can only keep afloat with the financial flexibility that comes with a young quarterback on a rookie contract.

The head coach, who has built a career in Minnesota by fixing quarterbacks and putting them in positions to succeed, has his professional reputation hanging in the balance because he failed to do so with the young signal-caller the Vikings drafted. The physical prime of so many star players, like Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw, is wasted in limbo if McCarthy can find a way to take advantage of them.

If it feels like the sky is falling, that’s because it kind of is. This is the franchise’s doomsday scenario. This is how a promising head coach gets fired, good players get wasted, and Super Bowl windows slam shut. Whether it will stop falling is yet to be seen. That’s up to J.J. McCarthy.

Just because things are bad doesn’t mean they can’t get better. It also doesn’t mean they can’t get worse, or that simply staying the same wouldn’t be just as bad. The situation is untenable, and all we can do is hope that better days are indeed on the horizon for the young quarterback. Otherwise, we sit back and watch the sky fall, and get ready to pick up the pieces.