Vikings' O'Connell: 'No limitations' for McCarthy to begin offseason work

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed Monday that it's all systems go for quarterback J.J. McCarthy as the team opens its offseason program this week.

"No limitations," O'Connell said, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "I want to credit J.J. for how he's handled these last two, two-and-a-half, three months or so, where I think he's ready to hit the ground running as of today."

McCarthy - a 2024 first-round pick - competed for the starting job with Sam Darnold last year, but his rookie campaign ended prematurely after he underwent a meniscus repair in August. With Darnold now gone, the Vikings are projected to turn to McCarthy as their starter.

"He's done a phenomenal job (with) what I would really call (those) invisible habits, invisible work that he's done when really nobody's been watching, in many ways solidifying and finalizing his rehab," O'Connell added.

McCarthy, 22, became a top-10 pick after helping Michigan win the national title in his final season with the Wolverines.

The Vikings, who only have Brett Rypien on their quarterback depth chart behind McCarthy, were linked to free agent Aaron Rodgers earlier this offseason but ultimately decided not to pursue the four-time NFL MVP. Minnesota also reportedly rejected trade offers for McCarthy.

O'Connell said Minnesota is still interested in adding to the QB position.

"We've really evaluated a lot of different ways we could potentially do that," the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year said. "There's potential trades and free agency and still the draft. We're going through a process of just figuring out who is the player we want to solidify that room with."

The Vikings enter the 2025 draft with only two top-100 picks, including the 24th overall selection.