EAGAN, Minn. — When J.J. McCarthy wasn't able to throw a football, he picked up a gratitude journal.

McCarthy spoke Tuesday to media members for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus injury that sidelined him for his rookie season.

The Vikings QB, who feels "even better than before" the injury, spoke about looking ahead but also reflected on the past 8 months of rehab. McCarthy noted the impact of returning to the gratitude journal, a practice he initially picked up during his collegiate career at Michigan but had strayed from.

He said it was the tragic passing in September of Greg Harden, former Michigan performance and life coach, that prompted him to revisit a daily journal session.

"It was one of the things that I felt benefited me the most during my first injury in college, and bringing that back up was something I was very grateful to do," McCarthy said.

"As simple as that seems, you know, the little things that go overlooked and underappreciated when you're healthy, or you can walk, or just the ability to see, that's been a great anchor for me every single morning — along with my meditation — to put great perspective into my days," he explained.

Close your eyes for a moment, and you might forget you're talking to a 22-year-old "kid" (at least by this writer's vantage point) who has yet to play a down in the NFL. McCarthy, wearing a backward baseball cap atop hair now long enough to flow over his ears, demonstrated a calmness that's become characteristic.

A question from the front row, ESPN's Kevin Seifert:

J.J., do you think you're ready to start?

"I know I'm ready to start," McCarthy said without hesitation. "I appreciate that question, Kevin."

Why?

Again, no pause.

"Because all of the work that I put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and being able to do my job and simplify things to the best of my ability every day," McCarthy responded. "Just take it on day at a time. One play at a time. And, you know, I have a tremendous coaching staff, a tremendous group of guys around me; I can lean on them, and they can lean on me."

McCarthy's assuredness isn't cocky but rather reflects comfortability.

He knows the stakes are high, and he's confident facing them. Whether that be how he was raised, an innate philosophy, God-given ability, experience at a Big Ten school or all of the above, he believes in himself and those around him.

"I think the more pressure, the better; that's something I thrive off," McCarthy said with a smile. "It's a cliché, 'pressure is a privilege,' but that's something that you sign up for when you play in the National Football League, especially at the quarterback position.

"I like pressure. All it does is bring out what's inside of you — and I feel pretty good about what's inside of me," he added.

McCarthy has openly discussed his journey with ADHD and leaning into it as a strength rather than roadblock. He reiterated that mindset Tuesday.

McCarthy noted that welcoming a high-stress (or what some may consider high-stress) environment isn't new for him but is something he identified in himself years ago.

"I came across this quote, people with ADHD, they find calm in the chaos and chaos in the calm," he said. "And I've felt like, ever since I was a kid, any competitive environment I was in, I just felt like I was at home. Obviously playing at Michigan, there's 110,000 [fans in the stadium] and you're at one of the most prominent universities out there — that's just where I feel most comfortable.

"When the lights are brightest, the stage is the biggest stage out there," he added. "And yeah, I know it's going to be a lot more of that to come."

Just as McCarthy's fun-loving side has enabled him to easily connect with teammates in the locker room, his unflappability and unwavering commitment to the game has garnered their trust.

Right tackle Brian O'Neill called McCarthy's energy "infectious" in the building.

"You can tell he wants it really bad. He does all the right things. He was here all winter, got his knee fully healthy — or, he looks fully healthy to me," O'Neill said. "He's out there running around, throwing it around, and it's good to have him in a lot more meetings.

"He was in a lot of quarterback meetings last year, but it's good to have him in our [offensive line] meetings," he continued. "I mean, we went over our entire snap count roster today with him, all the different snap counts we do. It's good to have that kind of interaction with him, knowing he's gonna be the guy."

The mutual respect doesn't come only from the offense, either.

Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard and safety Joshua Metellus also talked with media members Tuesday and shared similar sentiments around McCarthy.

Metellus noted his unique perspective, having been a senior at Michigan during McCarthy's recruiting visit:

"You felt his energy [then]," Metellus said. "To have poise the way he does, I think it goes a long way, especially for a team — especially for the leader of a team. For our quarterback to not even [have stepped] on the field yet and already have that poise, that energy when he walks in the building, is very special. I could talk about his abilities on the field all day … but for a guy to be the person he is in the building is something to look forward to."

Greenard pointed out McCarthy's constant presence in the team facility, even throughout the offseason.

The quarterback's work ethic is, to say the least, impressive.

"Seeing J.J. continue to work his tail off, be that same guy as the first day I met him, still checking in on guys, 'How you doing?' A lot of people don't do that. They ask it, [but] they're just saying, 'How you doing?' to check off a box," Greenard said. "I mean, he genuinely wants to know like, 'Hey, how are you doing? How's your family doing?' And that's what you want out of your quarterback, a younger guy, as well, especially when he has this grand opportunity in front of him.

"Man, we're all behind him," Greenard added. "We're all standing 10 toes with J. He's definitely a likable guy, and you want to see a guy like him succeed. So it makes it easier for us to root him on."

As McCarthy looks ahead to upcoming OTAs, minicamp and training camp, he knows he's got the entire team behind him and is prepared to continue proving himself in the best way he knows how.

"I've gotta win it myself every single day, win competition with myself," he said. "It's putting your best body of work, my best body of work, out there. It comes with looking myself in the mirror every night. 'Did I get better?'

"I've got to do everything I can to make sure I'm the best version of myself come game day," McCarthy later added. "Just put out that body of work they're going to see on a day-to-day basis. You know, show up. Be consistent, be dependable, be a true pro, and the rest will take care of itself."

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