Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had quite the NFL debut in Monday’s 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears.
The 22-year-old QB led the Vikings back from a 17-6 deficit early in the third quarter after throwing a pick-6 to a three-point win, engineering back-to-back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to turn what looked like a sure-fire loss into a thrilling come-from-behind win.
In the process, McCarthy also made some NFL history, becoming the first player to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his NFL debut.
He also became just the second Vikings QB and the first since Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton in 1961 to throw multiple touchdowns in his debut, he’s the first QB to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit of 10 or more points in his debut since Hall of Famer Steve Young 40 years ago, and he’s the first QB since Cam newton in 2011 with to passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in his debut.
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Most Vikings fans are still buzzing from McCarthy’s auspicious debut, but they did get a bit of bad news on Wednesday, courtesy of Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
McCarthy wore a special patch on his jersey for first career start that read “NFL Premier 2025,” and Florio reported despite wearing that patch, McCarthy is not eligible to win the 2025 Rookie of the Year award.
“Based on his performance, some have asked whether McCarthy is eligible for the offensive rookie of the year award,” Florio wrote. “He is not. We’ve previously confirmed that McCarthy is not eligible for the prize. The ‘premiere’ patch, however, creates confusion.”
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There is a small silver lining for Vikings fans, however.
While McCarthy, a Michigan alum, can’t win ROTY, because he missed his entire rookie season last year after suffering a torn meniscus in the preseason, he is eligible to win Comeback Player of the Year.
McCarthy currently has the sixth-best odds of winning the award (+1200), per DraftKings, behind Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (+225), San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (+225), Detroit Lions edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson (+350), Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (+500), and Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones (+750).
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