ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When drawing comparisons to NFL quarterbacks, Michigan football’s signal caller, J.J. McCarthy, has tended to be mentioned in the same breath as Patrick Mahomes. Not because he’s had equal production, of course, but because he does a lot of similar things when plays break down. But is there another NFL quarterback that perhaps McCarthy compares to?
On Wednesday, Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy said that McCarthy reminds him a bit of former NFL QB Drew Brees, more so because of the demeanor they both have than anything.
“Just the athletic traits, just the God-given abilities,” Bellamy said. “Just the way the guys have a demeanor about themselves by keeping everybody calm. I’ve played with quarterbacks that you just kind of feel like that stress. Those guys have a way about just relaxing everyone, just letting everyone know (to remain calm), even if a receiver drops the ball.”
McCarthy had probably his worst performance in a Michigan uniform last week, outpacing his two pick-six game against TCU. While those pick-sixes in the College Football Playoff were decimating, at least McCarthy was able to bounce back quickly from both and move the ball down the field. Against Bowling Green, once he got down, he stayed down.
Bellamy says that regardless, McCarthy doesn’t stay down for long, keeping an even keel, regardless of who makes the mistake. And as a result, the players surrounding him pick him up when he’s down. It’s a perfect example of true leadership at the position.
“I played with Drew and I’ve seen J.J. doing — ‘Hey, I’m coming back to you, man, just be ready. Make sure you stay locked in.’ And those are the qualities of a quarterback that takes the whole team to another level,” Bellamy said. “Because if a quarterback doesn’t have their best game, the receivers, O-line, they’re doing the same thing to those guys because they’re giving that energy off to us.”
Fans will get an opportunity to see McCarthy bounce back on Saturday, when the Wolverines host Rutgers for homecoming and the start of Big Ten play. The game will kick off at noon EDT on Big Ten Network.