The third installment of the series in which I write about reasons that I am grateful to be a Minnesota Vikings fan going into the 2025 season. If we live with a gratitude mindset, we will be rewarded with things worth being grateful for.
Reason for Gratitude #18: Mentors.
At the end of the day, all NFL players have one thing in common: they’re humans. Don’t get me wrong, most, if not all of them are freakishly athletic, but humans, nonetheless. They are all at different parts of the lives, their careers, and their spiritual journeys. Veterans and leaders don’t earn their titles overnight. Those are earned through time and by gaining the respect of their teammates, coaches, and owners.
Justin Jefferson is a veteran leader. Entering his 6th year in the league, which could be the peak season of his career (hopefully it continues for the next 10 plus seasons), Justin Jefferson has clearly taken a mentorship role to aid in J.J. McCarthy’s development.
A few weeks removed from attending a Timberwolves playoff game, there is definitely chemistry building between Jonathan James McCarthy and his #1 wide receiver, Justin Jefferson. Introducing an adult man to Mike and Ike’s candy is like showing a coworker how to change to dark screen mode on Teams. It’s an instant chemistry booster and this time of the year is for building camaraderie in addition to learning about the system and teammates. Although there is uncertainty of how McCarthy will perform this season, and despite some media pundit saying the Vikings are “concerned” about J.J., there is one thing for certain: our second-year franchise quarterback and future hall of famer has the support of his teammates and coaching staff.
We can talk about stats, metrics, and historical data until we are blue in the face. As someone who is in my favorite part of the fantasy football season (mock drafts every day), I am all about projecting player stats for 2025. However, when it comes to our Minnesota Vikings, I am less concerned with stats and mostly focused on the team itself. A great deal of the media attention appears to be about the quarterback room. What stands out to me is how McCarthy is already being lifted by his teammates. Whether it’s his insane and super meaningful record-breaking OTA stats, or the fact that he is drawing comparisons to Matt Stafford and Josh Allen, by Hock and Harrison Phillips, McCarthy is a protected asset. The high praise is a result of his ability as a great teammate. You can see it in his interviews and videos of him hitting Sam Howell in the head with a football, the energy he brings to this team. He already manifested a championship in college, and he is well on his way to manifesting a super bowl.
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
On top of possibly having gifts of the divine, JJMC has a plethora of mentors (Jetts and Harrison Phillips come to mind) that will help elevate his play to what we come to expect of a Kevin O’Connell offense. Even though you probably didn’t forget, I want to remind everyone that JJ’s closest mentor is his aforementioned former pro quarterback/genius turned head coach.
Bold prediction: McCarthy will throw at least 30 touchdowns in the 2025 regular season. I am confident in this prediction and would be quite surprised if it didn’t happen. “But Jesse, how can you be so sure?” Well, I’m glad you asked.
Since taking the job as Head Coach in 2022, Kevin O’Connell’s offenses have finished T-4th (30) with the Dolphins, T-4th (30) with the Dolphins and Lions, and 5th (35), respectively, in touchdown passes. What is even more respectable about these stats comes from what happened when Kirk Cousins was on his way to a monstrous season, before tearing his Achilles, in 2023.
Even with subsequent starts by Jaren Hall, Josh Dobbs, and Nick Mullens, the Vikings still finished the season with 30 passing touchdowns. The Passtronaut helped lead the team to a thrilling victory over the Atlanta Falcons and Nick Mullens made games exciting, slinging it down the field with no regard for who was going to catch it. Justin Jefferson was also missing for half of the year. Despite all of these difficulties, the Vikings finished the season on the brink of elite territory as far as passing touchdowns go.
So, if you are someone who has doubts about McCarthy, that’s OK. You don’t have to trust the quarterback, just trust the system. Regardless, we don’t need him to be Fran Tarkenton in 2025. If McCarthy can become a combination of Kirk Cousin’s consistency, Josh Dobbs’ athleticism, Nick Mullens’ fearlessness, Sam Darnold’s arm, and sprinkle in a little of his own own killer instinct, we have ourselves a viable quarterback who is capable of an excellent season. Add in a revamped group of big nasties with Shake and Bake (congrats, Ron H) pounding the rock, and we will have a well-rounded attack that can score points through the air and on the ground. We are in the time of potential, so live it up, people!
Think Happy Thoughts.
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Gratitude and positivity are the name of the game in 2025. I will match any and all negative energy or shade thrown at our beloved Vikings with its positive equivalent. Some may call me an idealist, but as I have made clear a few times, this team can’t hurt me anymore. Nothing will stop me from believing in this team and I am going to ride the wave until it reaches the shore. However, I am just one man. We need all of us to unite and lift this team up in any way that we can.
Some may say that the fans really have no effect on the game and don’t make a real impact, I say that’s hogwash. I want to use my ramblings as a conduit for positive energy and expectations for the Minnesota Vikings and I don’t want to hear any of that doom and gloom stuff. The past is behind us and there is nothing we can do about it, so let’s live in the present. These words may become redundant over the season, but I am fine with that.
So, as you are reading these thoughts, driving in your car on the way to work, mowing your yard, or slamming some Grain Belt Premiums with the gals and/or guys, keep the positive vibes going. Like Goku charging up his spirit bomb, we need every soul to believe in order to defeat our enemies. To achieve our dreams, we have to manifest the reality that we want. I know it will be challenging and our resolve will be tested many times. But together, we can will this team to a championshp. I truly believe that and will do everything on my power to spread the message.
If anyone has positive fan mantras we can recite, please feel free to share them in the comments.
Until next time.
– Jesse M