J.J. McCarthy: I would say I'm 100 percent
But after being sidelined for his rookie year due to a knee injury, he's on track to be able to earn the role during the offseason.
In his Tuesday interview on Up & Adams, McCarthy said his knee is 'fantastic.'
'I mean, I would say I'm 100 percent,' McCarthy said. 'But, just staying consistent with the rehab process, not wavering from that, staying disciplined with all the outside stuff, and making sure I'm not chopping too much wood and all that fun stuff.'
McCarthy suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee during Minnesota's first preseason game, undergoing surgery to repair it, which kept him out for the rest of 2024.
Still, McCarthy found a silver lining in not being able to play.
'It was the ultimate blessing because it's just a time of stillness where you really get to reflect, and introspect, and find a routine — especially early on in this career and this profession,' McCarthy said. 'It's huge for young guys to find that habitual routine that they can rely on and stay consistent with. So, I would say that was the biggest thing for me.'
The Vikings currently have McCarthy and Brett Rypien on their roster at QB, which would make McCarthy the clear first man up. But Minnesota is likely to add at least one more signal-caller before offseason programs get into full swing to help evenly distribute the reps.
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New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
Most underrated member of the Vikings defense? Poetically, it's safety Theo Jackson
Drift back in time two years to summer 2023. A joint practice at the TCO Performance Center between the Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans. It was a noisy day on the practice fields, and the fans were hollering about Brian Flores' defense. One Tennessee staffer, watching from the sideline, made note of a play from a defensive back. Advertisement 'Is that Theo Jackson?' the staffer asked. A nod. Yes, Jackson, a safety, had just ranged from deep and deflected a pass. The Titans staffer winced. 'We did not want to lose him,' they said. 'At all.' Jackson, a Nashville native and Tennessee Volunteers alumnus, had been a celebrated sixth-round pick for the local team the year before. His explosiveness metrics from the NFL Draft process weren't eye-popping, but he had size, versatility, intriguing ball skills and enough speed. A training camp injury slowed his momentum, then the Titans cut him. They thought they'd be able to stash him on the practice squad. They thought wrong. The Vikings swooped in, plucking him for their 53-man roster. They wanted insurance after selecting safety Lewis Cine in the first round, and defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones quickly recognized Minnesota had found something you're not supposed to find: a starter amid the scrap heap. 'It's rare in this profession to love the person and the player,' Jones said recently. 'Usually, it's one or the other. Not with Theo.' Theo Jackson gets an INT and secures the Vikings W 👏👏 — NFL+ (@NFLPlus) May 7, 2025 Despite how prevalent this feeling is among the Vikings staff and players, Jackson remains largely unheralded. Almost anonymous, even. It's fair in a sense. The 26-year-old has played only 222 defensive snaps since he arrived from Tennessee. But he's currently preparing for an increased role in what might be one of the NFL's best defenses. Jones described Jackson's track for 2025 as something similar to the uptick in Josh Metellus' defensive involvement that began two years ago. 'There's a lot of similarities there,' Jones said. 'Josh had his opportunities in 2023 and kind of changed the path and trajectory of his career. You see that same thing with Theo.' The Vikings lost Cam Bynum in free agency to the Indianapolis Colts, and Jackson, Metellus and Harrison Smith compose the trio charged with replacing his production. How many coaches and executives throughout the NFL could name him? Probably not many. How much ink has he received this training camp? Not much at all. Advertisement It's almost curious, but Jackson has always flown under the radar. In college, the Tennessee coaches begged NFL scouts to listen. They contended that Jackson would play in the NFL for a long time. He deflected 11 passes as a senior, compiled 56 tackles and had two sacks. Longtime college cornerbacks coach Willie Martinez informed his son, who works for the New Orleans Saints. Even his son dismissed the opinion. Tim Banks, currently Tennessee's defensive coordinator, implored scouts to take a shot. 'I'm telling you guys, this Theo Jackson kid can play,' Banks would say to scouts on the sideline at practice. They'd look at him with scrunched faces. 'They think I'm just riding for my guy,' Banks said disgustedly. 'It's just like recruiting.' He's pointing out the flaw in the system. In college, recruiting services and online databases rank players early. Late bloomers are often left by the wayside. In the pros, teams begin their evaluations of the next year's crop of players a year early. Scouts are occasionally too focused on the previous year's list of names to notice the kids blossoming right in front of them. There's also this truth: Smarts are tough to assess. Speed is timed. Size is measured. But how do you gauge a person's bandwidth for retaining information? How do you measure his aptitude for translating what he's learned in the classroom to the field? How about his wiring to make split-second decisions on the field? What about his sheer level of commitment to the craft? The answers to these questions are rarely considered in pre-draft analysis. Teams typically use 15-minute interviews to try to decipher clues about a player. But what if the player is shy? Or what if, as in Jackson's case, he has a stutter? That's something Banks identified when he was hired by the Volunteers in 2021. He wondered how it might affect Jackson's ability to communicate on the field, but the youngster swiftly erased all doubts. Not only did Banks learn about Jackson's elite mental horsepower and awareness, but also that Jackson had allocated meaningful time and energy to improve his speech. Advertisement Eventually, Banks became confident enough in Jackson to make him the 'star' defender, Tennessee's version of a nickel. Jackson decoded receiver screens with ease. He didn't miss tackles. He could even line up in man coverage, a versatile skill that has made him a great fit for Flores. When you peel back the layers on Jackson's path, he was almost made for the Vikings system. In college, Jackson first played for Jeremy Pruitt, a defense-oriented coach who had studied under Nick Saban. And where did Saban refine his defense? Alongside Bill Belichick, the man who laid Flores' foundation. 'I come from the Patriots system,' said Martinez, Tennessee's defensive backs coach who recruited Jackson. 'I know they love smart football players. Smart and tough in that order is what (Flores) likes. If a player has the ability, it's icing on the cake. But you're not going to play for those guys if you don't know what to do, and you don't know how to make adjustments.' Jackson hasn't played a meaningful defensive role over the last two seasons for one reason: numbers. The Vikings had Smith and Bynum. Metellus, a sixth-round pick from 2020, was next in line. Jackson was buried on the depth chart, but the coaching staff has treated him as a starter for multiple seasons. Jackson and Jones laugh now about Jones' hollering at Jackson when a linebacker filled the wrong gap or when a cornerback misplayed a coverage. No, it wasn't Jackson's fault. Jones, though, wanted him to feel the accountability. 'He's been held to a different standard,' Jones said. Maybe that's why Smith and Metellus almost sound surprised when they're asked about Jackson's current involvement. It's as if they're in on a bit to keep Jackson as overlooked and unmentioned as he's always been. They can try, but time is running out. Soon enough, he'll be back there in prime time, disguising coverages with the best of them on a stage that leaves nothing concealed. For Jackson, it's long overdue. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
There's a cool WNBA doubleheader on tonight. Here's how to watch Lynx-Liberty, then Dream-Aces
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
There's a cool WNBA doubleheader on tonight. Here's how to watch Lynx-Liberty, then Dream-Aces
Tuesday's pair of nationally televised WNBA games might be one of this season's best. The action opens with another Finals rematch, as the defending champion New York Liberty host the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx along Atlantic Avenue. That headliner is followed by two scorching ascendants: The Atlanta Dream, surging all the way up to No. 2 on the W's table, visit the Las Vegas Aces, who have stacked seven consecutive wins. The Lynx and Liberty do not like each other. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said that the 2024 Finals thriller was 'stolen' from her side, and blamed the refs for imbalanced calls around Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Lynx guard Courtney Williams thoroughly enjoyed the latest revenge bout, an 86-80 win on Saturday. The seafoam supporters should show out in full force for this one. Advertisement Minnesota is now looking to go a perfect 4-0 against New York in 2025, and will attack the perimeter to do so. It shot a clean 48.4 percent on 3s in the first win, 100-93 on July 30. It shot 47.6 percent behind the arc in the second W, 83-71 on Aug. 10. And while Saturday's triumph didn't have that same long-range smoothness (31.8 percent), Alanna Smith took over down low to anchor the fourth-quarter comeback: Liberty center Jonquel Jones was efficient last time out, finishing 7-of-11 from the field with two made 3s. Her initiator, Sabrina Ionescu, was bottled up to 5-for-16 shooting and had more turnovers (3) than assists (2). The decorated forwards Stewart (knee) and Collier (ankle) are both still out, but there's enough scoring prowess and star magnetism in this matchup to live up to its billing. The nightcap tethers two of the league's best midseason turnarounds. Atlanta has won eight of its last 10 games, and now touts a better record than everyone except Minnesota. The Dream picked up a nice national TV win in San Francisco on Sunday, knocking off the Golden State Valkyries with a convincing third-quarter blitz. ATL comes into this game ranked No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 3 and in defensive rating. It also plays with the second-slowest pace and shoots the second-most 3s. The team sets up efficient, patient movement through Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada, while a pairing of Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones lock down the paint. It funnels action into do-it-all star Allisha Gray, who starts the week with the third-most offensive win shares of 2025. Gray had 24 points and sunk 5-of-11 3s in the Dream's last meeting with the Aces. Las Vegas dominated that look, though, winning by 15 points on July 22. A'ja Wilson and her A'ces (TM) are now 21-14, riding a seven-game win streak into Tuesday. Vegas is still ninth in defensive rating, but it now enjoys the league's best record (11-5) in close games (five-point lead or less in the final five minutes). The team is shooting an absurd 45 percent from 3 in clutch minutes this year. Advertisement Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray are all proven playmakers down the stretch, and the June 30 acquisition of NaLyssa Smith has revamped the rebounding on both ends. But everything runs through Wilson, the incumbent MVP who has notched at least 30 points in three of her last four games. She was locked in against the Dallas Wings on Sunday: Both of these games are available on NBA TV and WNBA League Pass for out-of-market viewers. The teams' respective local broadcasters will carry for locals. Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Courtney Williams and Jonquel Jones: Ellen Schmidt / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
