Former Minnesota Vikings huge receiver Adam Thielen, now with the Carolina Panthers, raised eyebrows when he shared final week that he lately spent a while catching passes thrown by Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Per Adam Patrick of The Viking Age and Janik Eckardt of Purple PTSD, Thielen opened up about his interactions with McCarthy throughout a Monday look on Minneapolis/St. Paul sports activities radio station KFAN FM 100.3.
“He is acquired all of the instruments, that is for positive,” Thielen stated about McCarthy. “He can sling it (and) he is tremendous correct. We’re carrying shorts and t-shirts on the market, however you may (nonetheless) see so much, simply from accuracy, timing, and people kinda issues while you’re operating routes on air.”
Thielen, a local of Minnesota, featured for the Vikings from 2014 by the 2022 season lengthy earlier than the membership made McCarthy the tenth total decide of this yr’s draft. Regardless of that funding, veteran Sam Darnold is on track to begin over McCarthy when Minnesota opens the upcoming marketing campaign on the New York Giants on Sept. 8.
Throughout a special interview on Monday, Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman suggested that McCarthy confirmed indicators throughout springtime exercises that he is prepared to ascertain himself as a pacesetter within the locker room. Thielen talked about that the first-year professional has “a maturity about him that you may inform goes past his age.”
McCarthy turned 21-years-old this previous January.
“And that is step No. 1 as a quarterback, proper? To have that maturity stage, have that type of poise or type of that aura round you that simply feels assured,” Thielen continued. “And (he is) only a good particular person. So, I’ve actually loved being round him for the little time that I have been in a position to be round him.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Darnold because the overwhelming betting favourite at -320 odds to be Minnesota’s Week 1 beginning quarterback over McCarthy (+230). Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell seemingly desires McCarthy to develop as a spectator who watches Darnold take significant snaps by Week 18, however it sounds just like the rookie might have one thing to say about these plans as soon as coaching camp practices start later this month.