Ad Disclosure
JJ McCarthy under more pressure than Caleb Williams, says ESPN analyst
By Paul Harvey
Published:
JJ McCarthy is entering his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Despite missing his rookie season with a knee injury, the former Michigan star is already facing some major expectations with the Minnesota Vikings.
In fact, ESPN’s Peter Schrager made the case on Monday that McCarthy is carrying more pressure to win in 2025 than Caleb Williams. The former USC star and Heisman winner is entering his 2nd season with the Chicago Bears after going 5-12 as a rookie.
Considering the situations, Schrager made the case on “Get Up” that McCarthy is the individual who needs to win early and often in 2025:
“There is more pressure for JJ McCarthy… more pressure on him for success right away than there is on Caleb Williams, the former first overall pick in Chicago,” said Schrager.
“Chicago has such an uphill climb. Minnesota, we expect them to be in the mix… Minnesota has everything you could want there already, it’s just plug and play. Caleb Williams, you’re asking him to learn a new coach, a new offensive coordinator, an entirely new set of players.”
RELATED: Don’t miss out on any of the best NFL or college football odds available in the state of Michigan. Be sure to use the Michigan online sports betting links and apps to get started.
Complicating matters is the fact that McCarthy did not get a true rookie season after the Vikings selected him with the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft. Expected to serve as the backup to Sam Darnold and compete for playing time last season, McCarthy spent the year sidelined with a knee injury and surgery during the preseason.
Despite that missed time, Minnesota moved on from Darnold after a wildly successful season to hand the reins to McCarthy. With all the pieces in place, it will be up to the former Wolverine to hit the ground running this fall.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.