There's no such thing as a hot seat at this point on the calendar, but there's loads of burning questions.
With Organized Team Activity practices nearing their midpoint, and a summer break, in advance of NFL training camps, on the horizon, now is an appropriate time to set the stage for Minnesota's 2025 season.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports did precisely that Tuesday, narrowing his focus on the Vikings and the rest of their division with a series of NFC North-related questions that'll be answered in full by next January.
Regarding Minnesota, Benjamin posed a popular query: What can J.J. McCarthy bring to the table?
Benjamin identified it as "the money question of the entire division," writing the following:
The Vikings have the makings of a heavyweight. [Head Coach Kevin] O'Connell is a masterclass in uplifting leadership. Brian Flores' defense was a crunch-time takeaway machine in 2024. Both fronts have added veteran help, and the weapons are as good as they come, with Aaron Jones, Sr., Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson all Pro Bowl-caliber talents. Yet their ability to weather a brutal 2025 schedule hinges on the new guy dealing the ball. O'Connell got big-play results from Sam Darnold for much of last year, but J.J. McCarthy is 22 with zero NFL experience. Is he ready, in his first-ever pro action, to meet Vikings fans' abruptly inflated expectations? He's certainly got the infrastructure to make early waves. But Minnesota knows all too well that things aren't always as smooth as they seem.
While there's many elements of McCarthy's game that remain to be seen, he might not be as much of a mystery as some pundits suggest. We witnessed him settle into his own last training camp and light the field on fire in his only opportunity of the preseason. We've also listened to him speak, and we've watched him interact with teammates and coaches, and push himself so he's prepared for his moment.
Through all that, it's abundantly clear McCarthy has the requisite tools and mental makeup to flourish in a quarterback-friendly system that's littered with talented targets and veteran voices that can guide him.
Benjamin's burning question for the Bears, who'll host the Vikings in Week 1 on Monday Night Football, also revolved around a quarterback. He asked: How quickly can Caleb Williams mesh with Ben Johnson?
All the pieces are there: Williams' dynamism, Johnson's innovation, and a rock-solid setup now outfitted with added veteran blockers and a trio of young wideouts in DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. But how quickly can Williams adapt to Johnson's system? Already the coach is apparently retraining the quarterback's body language; will Johnson also be able to reign in Williams' more frenetic play style?
Read Benjamin's complete analysis of one question for each NFC North team here.
NFL.com's young 'breakout' candidates
Have we mentioned, yet, that the "rankings" and "lists" part of the spring is in full swing?
NFL Media's Jeff Chadiha recently spotlighted three players he thinks are primed for success in 2025. In a video posted to NFL.com, Chadiha supplied takes on his "breakout candidates", including McCarthy.
Chadiha noted another NFC North quarterback, Williams, has been a central figure in some offseason conversations, but that McCarthy has greater expectations attached to him because of the foundation that's been laid – and proven – in Minnesota, which won 14 games in 2024 without him.
"[The Vikings] were super excited about what [he did] in the preseason last year," Chadiha said. "They loved his charisma and his leadership, his intelligence. He's a guy who is 100% positivity all the time, and he was on track to be the player they hoped he was going to be when he became the 10th overall pick."
So what's changed since then? A lot, obviously. Some things unfortunate for McCarthy, such as missing his rookie season because of a meniscus tear in his lone exhibition game. That is months of on-field work evaporated – time that can't be returned. Some aspects, however, may wind up being beneficial to McCarthy in the long run. He wasn't subjected to trial by fire, for one. Secondly, he was able to stabilize his knowledge of Minnesota's schematics behind the scenes.
McCarthy, who was just 21 years old last season, also got to study his teammates and their preferences.
Chadiha reminded: "He's going to have the same stuff that Sam Darnold had; he's going to have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, a good offensive line, a great defense, so the odds are good that he's going to have success. And he needs to have it, because that's the toughest division in football."
The other players Chadiha discussed were Kansas City receiver Xavier Worthy and Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid. His selections were pulled from an article he filed last week, which outlined eight young players whose developments could propel their teams and significantly alter their 2025 trajectories.
In that, Chadiha wrote, "The key is whether McCarthy has the maturity to go out and not do too much."
For what it's worth, Williams (No. 1), McCarthy (2) and Green Bay defensive end Lukas Van Ness (6) were NFC North representatives on Chadiha's list. The full spectrum of promising youngsters is available here.
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