The Minnesota Vikings aren’t putting any pressure on J.J. McCarthy to become their starting quarterback.

Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is both publicly and privately saying that McCarthy has an “open-ended” timetable to take over as the starter.

Minnesota signed Sam Darnold as a free agent to serve as a potential bridge quarterback if the coaching staff determines McCarthy isn’t ready for a starting role when the season begins.

The Vikings are planning to have a competition between Darnold and McCarthy in training camp and preseason. O’Connell has said they want to create a “competitive environment” at every position, but particularly at quarterback.

McCarthy was a polarizing prospect in the 2024 NFL draft. He had tremendous success as a two-year starter on a loaded Michigan team. The 21-year-old only attempted 713 passes in three seasons with the Wolverines.

By comparison, three quarterbacks drafted ahead of McCarthy—Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr.—all had more than 1,000 pass attempts in college.

B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen described McCarthy as a “point-and-shoot thrower over the middle with just enough creativity and athleticism to be interesting.”

All of this is to say there will likely be a steep developmental curve for McCarthy in the NFL. The Vikings have a terrific support system in place around him with two dynamic offensive tackles and a group of pass-catchers that includes Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.

The Vikings have an early bye in Week 6 after playing against the New York Jets in London on Oct. 6. They could use that as a point to start McCarthy if he doesn’t win the job in training camp, but giving him as much time as necessary to ensure he’s fully ready to go when he gets on the field is the smart long-term play for the organization.