Vikings' Blake Cashman can't wait to see J.J. McCarthy's growth: 'He's gonna be a great player'

Blake Cashman has seen both ends of the rookie quarterback spectrum in his young NFL career.

The Minnesota Vikings’ new linebacker was a member of the New York Jets when Zach Wilson struggled through a trying first season in 2021. But Cashman also just spent last year with the Texans, witness to the magic of C.J. Stroud in a brilliant rookie campaign.

So when Cashman had some pretty glowing respect for Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy recently, it came from someone who knows firsthand what he’s talking about.

“[He’s] 21 years old, but a great young man,” Cashman said on *The Jim Rome Show*. “He’s a leader. He’s eager to learn.

Many young men can be a bit shy or timid when they first come in, but he’s confidently moving around the locker room, grinning widely, shaking hands, and making an effort to familiarize himself with everyone.

That’s certainly a quality start for McCarthy, who earned a reputation as a smart, tough, competitive quarterback at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to two playoff appearances the past two seasons, including a national championship in January.

The Vikings traded up to pick McCarthy No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s expected to compete with vet Sam Darnold for the starting job, with head coach Kevin O’Connell saying he’s hoping for a “competitive environment” in a training camp battle where none of Minnesota’s quarterbacks have been promised anything yet.

Cashman confesses that he has only gotten a glimpse of McCarthy’s talent so far in minicamps and organized team activities prior to training camp. However, what he has witnessed until now, particularly McCarthy’s arm talent, has left a strong impression on him.

“Cashman admitted, “I was not very familiar with his game previously. I was aware that he was an exceptional quarterback and that he had a record of success at Michigan. However, I had not fully appreciated the intensity with which he could throw the ball.”

He possesses an impressive long ball. Furthermore, even in those tight situations, where the window of opportunity quickly diminishes at the next level, he has the ability to swiftly shoot the ball past a linebacker or safety’s head, managing to fit it into those narrow openings. Seeing this is indeed very promising.

Predicting greatness for a rookie QB prior to taking any significant snaps can be risky business. Wilson was a fast riser through the draft process and was branded a possible star in the Patrick Mahomes role. That has yet to materialize, with Wilson now on his second NFL team. Meanwhile, there were questions about Stroud even though he was drafted No. 2 overall, cloaked by a low score on the S2 cognitive test designed to measure how quickly a QB can process information. All he did was turn in one of the great all-time seasons by a rookie quarterback.

Despite it potentially being early, Cashman didn’t hesitate in his prediction of greatness for McCarthy.

“Cashman expressed his excitement about continuing to witness the player’s development. “He’s set to be an exceptional player for many years to come,” he said. “I’m eager to see not only the evolution of his quarterback skills but also his growth into an even more intelligent player.”