SPORTZONE27

Over the past few months, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has received plenty of praise from teammates, coaches, and others within the organization. That’s why it felt surprising to see a headline circulating on Tuesday from Newsweek stating, “Vikings Reportedly Concerned With JJ McCarthy.”

If you saw that headline and reacted with a skeptical “You sure about that?”—channeling the iconic moment from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson—you wouldn’t be alone.

The article was based on comments made by former NFL player Ross Tucker during an episode of SKOR North’s “Purple Daily.” In the interview, Tucker shared his belief that, despite the Vikings’ enthusiastic public support for McCarthy, they were still interested in re-signing Sam Darnold, and also made a play for Daniel Jones, which he saw as signs of doubt about McCarthy as the 2025 starter.

But let’s take a closer look at these so-called “concerns.”

Nowhere in Tucker’s interview did he claim to have insider knowledge or cite sources within the Vikings organization. His view was speculative, based on offseason reports about Minnesota’s contract offers to Darnold and Jones.

What wasn’t mentioned was that the Vikings didn’t franchise tag Darnold and only offered him a one-year deal for less money than what he eventually got from Seattle, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. As for Jones, Minnesota made him a strong offer—but only to be McCarthy’s backup. Jones opted for the Colts instead, where he’d have a better shot at starting.

The Vikings have made it clear their long-term plan revolves around McCarthy. And it’s perfectly reasonable for the team to have some hesitation about a second-year quarterback who hasn’t yet played a regular-season snap and missed his rookie year with a knee injury. In fact, it would be more alarming if they weren’t at least somewhat cautious.

But again, Tucker didn’t report that the team is worried—he offered his interpretation based on offseason transactions. There’s a big difference between actual concern from within the organization and speculation from a media guest.

Tucker again expressed his opinion. He did not share any reports or rumors. So, to take what he said on “Purple Daily” and conclude that Minnesota is “concerned” about McCarthy is a leap that Anthony Edwards would never dream of making.