Before J.J. McCarthy landed with the Minnesota Vikings, he nearly became the face of the Chicago Bears franchise. Quarterbacks coach Greg Holcomb, a longtime mentor to McCarthy, shared a moment from the offseason that led McCarthy to join the Vikings.While running a youth quarterbacks camp in the Chicago suburbs, Holcomb spoke with Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who revealed what happened behind the scenes in Chicago before the 2024 NFL Draft.“He was talking about how much they loved J.J.,” Holcomb recalled. “And said to me, ‘I don’t think people realize how close we were to possibly taking him.’”The revelation comes after the Bears selected Williams as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Poles’ announcement suggests that McCarthy could have led the Bears into 2025, right in the heart of his hometown.McCarthy, as a prospect, impressed with his attention to detail and unwavering work ethic. However, a twist of fate with a touch of Hollywood timing changed the story, and it will now be featured on Monday Night Football against the team that nearly drafted him."The first game of the season," Holcomb said, still marveling. "Seriously. The team for the city you lived in. Prime time. Your first start."Vikings Crafted J.J. McCarthy’s 2025 Comeback in Silence After Injury SetbackThe Vikings finished with a 14–3 record last season. However, their most important long-term project wasn’t on the field: a torn meniscus and an injury sidelined J.J. McCarthy from practicing under NFL rules.However, McCarthy wasn’t forgotten in the shuffle. Head coach Kevin O’Connell created a rare, protected, and personal plan to keep his rookie quarterback engaged.O’Connell set aside an hour on his weekly schedule with no game-planning, film review, or meetings. The time was reserved just for McCarthy to ensure that the lost rookie year didn’t become a wasted one.“I just wanted to give him a platform with me,” O’Connell said. “Maybe it was football one day. Maybe it was no football. My time is very hard to find during the season, but I just wanted to make sure that we got together.”The meetings ranged from schematic to more personal, but McCarthy’s curiosity caught KOC’s attention. He arrived prepared, asked sharp questions, and turned those quiet sessions into learning moments that showed he wasn’t just showing up but trying to build something.The Vikings never promised McCarthy anything, and O’Connell made that clear. He wanted to give the young quarterback tools to draw on when it mattered. McCarthy’s first start will likely come on Monday Night Football against his hometown team, the Chicago Bears, on September 9.