How injury setbacks fueled J.J. McCarthy’s edgy alter ego in Vikings return
NY Post
He might have been wearing a No. 9 Vikings jersey, but J.J. McCarthy was not the real author behind last Sunday’s thrilling 27-24 victory over the Lions.
The real mastermind, according to the 22-year-old quarterback, is his edgy alter ego, Nine, who scored three touchdowns in his NFL return after missing five straight games this season due to a high ankle sprain.
“It really kind of started to show up this year, and it came about last year during IR,” said McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus.
“Just never had a full season, where you want to be out there so freaking bad, but you can’t. It was just this built-up anger that was kind of ready to just explode, and I chose to harness it instead of letting it go into a self-destructive kind of way.”
The Vikings’ 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, McCarthy watched from the sideline in 2024 as veteran journeyman Sam Darnold revived his career with a 14-3 campaign.
When Darnold joined the Seahawks in free agency on a $100.5 million deal, it was McCarthy’s turn to take the reins.
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