“JJ McCarthy is a bust”: NFL fans react on Vikings QB's shaky preseason outing vs. Texans after returning from meniscus injury

After missing the 2024 NFL season, JJ McCarthy returned on Saturday against the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback suffered a torn meniscus ahead of his rookie season, opening the door for Sam Darnold, who took the team to a 14-3 record.

McCarthy was designated the starting quarterback for this campaign. The expectations were high for his debut, but his first outing raised some eyebrows among fans. One of them showed a clip of McCarthy missing a pass in Saturday's game.

"JJ McCarthy is a bust. Sam Howell would be a better starter for the Vikings," one fan tweeted.

That clip triggered criticism from other fans, who were unhappy with the former Michigan Wolverines star.

"Vikings fans are in for a huge disappointment. I don’t see anything special in JJ McCarthy and I’m a Vikings fan," another fan said.

Minnesota Dept of Govt Efficiency 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

@Maximus82906969

Vikings fans are in for a huge disappointment. I don’t see anything special in JJ McCarthy and I’m a Vikings fan

"McCarthy missing throws high over the middle has been a problem since he was a freshman in college," another fan said.

Garrett Bailey

@gdbailey02

JJ McCarthy missing throws high over the middle has been a problem since he was a freshman in college

Others were excited about what they saw from the young quarterback and defended him from criticism.

"You’re addled. JJ is gonna be GREAT. See you Week 1 and you better hope that your QB can decipher a complicated Flores defense," one fan said.

"McCarthy looks exactly like Mahomes. Oh my god," another fan said.

"JJ McCarthy’s team beats CJ Stroud’s team once again Some things never change," another fan wrote.

McCarthy finished the game with four completions on seven pass attempts and 30 yards.

Colin Cowherd casts doubt on JJ McCarthy before training camp

While McCarthy returned to the field to prepare for his first season, Colin Cowherd shared his doubts about the player's ability to establish himself as a star in the NFL.

During a June episode of his "The Herd" show, the analyst implied there was something wrong with the quarterback.

"There’s so much mystery [surrounding McCarthy]. Why does Minnesota keep flirting with other quarterbacks and there are too many conflicting reports with McCarthy. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t know. I feel sometimes there’s a little bit of a spin job here.”

Cowherd added that to be great, McCarthy must have a special talent, mentioning Patrick Mahomes’ arm talent, Lamar Jackson's athleticism, Joe Burrow’s composure and Justin Herbert’s power.