Rams legend Kurt Warner explains why J.J. McCarthy can thrive in Vikings' offense under HC Kevin O’Connell

Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner believes J.J. McCarthy possesses the physical tools to succeed in Minnesota's offense. The Rams and Cardinals legend stopped short of making bold predictions about McCarthy's first season.

McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in 2024 out of Michigan, inherits a Vikings team with high expectations following a 14-win season.

Speaking on "The Jim Rome Show" on Saturday, Warner shared his thoughts on McCarthy's prospects in Minnesota's offense. He is preparing to take the reins from Sam Darnold, who departed for Seattle in free agency.

"I think they're gonna be a good team," Warner said. "I think they're going to be a good offense. There's enough pieces and Coach O'Connell does such a great job of setting up his quarterback to make plays that they're going to be a good football team.

"I just don't know how good JJ McCarthy is going to be at the NFL level. I just need to see more of that. He's got the physical ability to do it. I know he can push the ball down the field, but consistency when it comes to playing the quarterback position is what this is all about," said Warner.

McCarthy's limited game action coming back from a torn meniscus presents a significant unknown factor. His most notable professional performance came in last summer's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He displayed promising pocket awareness, layered sideline passes and the processing ability Vikings scouts saw in their pre-draft evaluation.

Sam Darnold's 2024 season sets the bar for J.J. McCarthy

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Kurt Warner expressed specific concerns about whether J.J. McCarthy can maintain the consistency needed in Minnesota's aggressive downfield passing attack.

"I thought he had to get better and show more, from who he was in college to the NFL," Warner said on Saturday, via 'The Jim Rome Show.'

"We saw one preseason game where he did some really nice things, but I don't know, I need to see more from him to know can he be a consistent thrower of the football pushing the ball down the field, which is what Minnesota wants to do with their weapons, they wanna push the ball and take those second level type throws over and over again."

The Hall of Famer also pointed to Sam Darnold's outstanding 2024 performance as setting a high bar for McCarthy.

History offers mixed predictions for McCarthy's rookie campaign. According to TruMedia, teams starting rookie quarterbacks have won just 40.1% of their games over the past 20 seasons. However, standout rookie performances happen, particularly when young quarterbacks join talented rosters. Recent examples like C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels broke this mold.

Daniels threw for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns against just nine interceptions while leading Washington to a 12-5 record last season.