"I know I'm ready to start" - J.J. McCarthy tunes out Aaron Rodgers’ landing talk to lock in on Vikings' QB1 role

Former Michigan star J.J. McCarthy was the Minnesota Vikings' 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and while fans were excited to see him perform on the field, his year-ending injury left them heartbroken.

McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during the Vikings' first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 10. The rookie spent a year in recovery and had two surgeries. The second one was to fix the swelling on his knee after he tried movements following the first one.

After the completion of Sam Darnold's one-year contract with the Vikings, all eyes are on McCarthy to take the starting quarterback role. During a press conference held on Tuesday, McCarthy expressed confidence in his abilities ahead of the 2025 NFL season amid Aaron Rodgers rumors.

"I know I'm ready to start," McCarthy said. "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 and simplify things to the best of my ability every single day.

"And just to take it one day at a time, one play at a time. I have a tremendous coaching staff, a tremendous group of guys around me that I can lean on and they can lean on me."

Earlier this week, when asked about the rumors of Rodgers potentially ending up in Minnesota, McCarthy said the franchise didn't tell him that he would be a starter until then, and that it helps him prepare and fight for the position.

In his first and only preseason game, McCarthy completed 64.7% of his passes for 188 yards, scoring two touchdowns and one interception.

Aaron Jones heaps praise on J.J. McCarthy ahead of the 2025 season

During an appearance on "Good Morning Football" on April 10, Vikings running back Aaron Jones expressed his confidence in J.J. McCarthy's abilities to return from the injury and act as the Vikings' starter in 2025.

Jones praised McCarthy's journey from high school to college, highlighting how he lost one career game.

“J.J.’s a winner," Jones said. "If you look from high school through his time in college, he’s lost one career game. He came in [and] in his short time there, he was balling. The preseason, he ended up getting hurt, unfortunately. But I think it might’ve been a quarterback battle if he didn’t get hurt. He’s different. He’s a competitor. He wants to be great and he’s hungry.” [From 1:10]

The Vikings' official schedule for the 2025 NFL season will be released on Wednesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. CT.