Justin Jefferson Had Sage Advice for J.J. McCarthy Ahead of First Start for Vikings

J.J. McCarthy is set to make his first NFL start under the lights of Monday Night Football. McCarthy takes over a team expected to be a playoff contender after going 14-3 a season ago. It's a rare scenario that sees the Vikings switch quarterbacks after such a successful season, moving from Sam Darnold to McCarthy.

As the Vikings look to return to the postseason this year, McCarthy is the main question mark surrounding the team, simply because he has not played after missing his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus. Though Darnold had a breakout season with Minnesota in 2024, McCarthy has been the Vikings' plan for the future since they picked him No. 10 in the 2024 NFL draft. On Monday, he'll take the field for the first time for Minnesota.

While McCarthy played in big games during his college career at Michigan—including winning the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship—his NFL debut will carry a different weight. Before Monday's game against the Bears, wide receiver Justin Jefferson spoke to Sports Illustrated on behalf of Sleep Number, and shared the advice he's given to McCarthy ahead of his first season as a starter.

"It's just all about having confidence in yourself, just going out there and remembering the things that we went over in practice, remember the things that you have installed in your brain throughout this entire process of getting to this moment," Jefferson said. "It's just all about letting loose, letting that little kid out and letting him go play. That's what I like to say. Carry yourself with confidence and understand that you're here for a reason, and that you have the talent to go out there and be who knows, the best ever."

Though McCarthy has yet to prove himself on the field, Jefferson notes the second-year quarterback has a "great arm" and is excited for what he will bring to the team. Jefferson and McCarthy haven't had a ton of time on the field together due to McCarthy's season-ending injury last year, and Jefferson's hamstring injury in training camp. Despite this, they've developed their relationship in other ways. Jefferson and McCarthy's locker rooms are right next to each other, and Jefferson said that their bond has "grown tremendously." Jefferson being sidelined has also given him greater understanding of McCarthy's perspective on the field.

"I was really able to really see the things that he's seeing, communicate with him on different things that he was thinking at the moment, the decisions that he made at the moment," Jefferson told SI. "I definitely felt that it was a great process and transition."

The relationship between Jefferson and McCarthy is not just important because Jefferson is McCarthy's top playmaker, but because Jefferson truly feels it's his job to make life easier on his young quarterback. Jefferson is confident in McCarthy, but he also emphasizes that it's not all on McCarthy.

"Offensively, we have so many different weapons and so many different guys surrounding J.J. to where it takes a lot of stress off of him," Jefferson said. "All he has to do is really just get it to our hands, and for our O-line to protect and give him time to scope out everything, to make his reads, and for him to make a decision."

From the Vikings weapons to their play-calling, supportive head coach and an upgraded defense, Jefferson thinks McCarthy is in a position to succeed. Their mission to make that belief a reality begins in earnest on Monday night.