Two of the biggest storylines for the Minnesota Vikings heading into training camp were the development of their first-round quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, and their look for someone to step up as the third wide receiver in the offense.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are firmly planted as the top two options, but there’s a big need for someone to step up in that supplementary role — especially in the wake of T.J. Hockenson’s knee injury and the likelihood he’ll be unavailable to start the season.
By the looks of things coming out of the first week of camp, both of those storylines may have fairly positive starts. McCarthy has been showing good progress as a rookie, and both Jalen Nailor and Trishton Jackson have stepped up and made some good plays to start camp off on the right foot.
Today, we got the best of both worlds, as McCarthy hit Jackson for a 50-yard-bomb against the first team defense — a defense that has reportedly “chosen violence” early on and has been giving both McCarthy and presumed starter Sam Darnold fits in the early portions of camp.
Connecting deep.@jjmccarthy09 ➡️ Trishton Jackson pic.twitter.com/T590V4k7T3
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 31, 2024
We see reports like this come out every year, so it’s important to take these things with a grain of salt. But it’s encouraging to see McCarthy and Jackson hooking up for plays like this against the starting defense, given the question marks surrounding both situations coming into the 2024 season.