Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy appeared on The Adam Schefter podcast earlier this week and discussed the possibility of playing for the New England Patriots.
McCarthy had high praise for both the organization and NFL legend Tom Brady.
Granted, the former Wolverine is carving out a solid football career in his own right. He is coming off a 2023 national championship season with Michigan and is projected to go in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. He threw for 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns in his Michigan career, including a 22-touchdown effort last season. Now, he is looking to make a bigger impact at the next level.
Brady has served as the standard for many of the young quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams praising Brady’s longevity and organizational stability earlier this week. Getting drafted by the Patriots would mean a lot to McCarthy, and he expanded on this during the podcast.
“Tom and I have a great relationship. I asked him questions all throughout the season,” said McCarthy. “I try not to bother him too much. …Such honor and respect. …I’m always about playing for the guys that came before and the guys who built the foundation to where it is right now. Obviously being a part of the New England Patriots, that means everything. Going back to when Brady was playing and how he was doing it for Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest and Ty Law and all those guys. Being able to pay that forward would be a tremendous honor.”
McCarthy would certainly be a little bit of a switch-up in regards to names that have been connected with the Patriots at the quarterback position. Most expect the pick to either be Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
With that being said, it seems as though members of the Patriots organization really like McCarthy. Time will tell what happens, but at this point, it would be a shock if New England were to draft the Michigan signal-caller.