Vikings Working to Find the Right Touch With QB J.J. McCarthy in Training Camp originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Minnesota Vikings knew they were getting a strong-armed quarterback when they drafted J.J. McCarthy last year, but the second-year signal-caller may be just a bit too strong so far.

McCarthy, whose rookie season was lost to a knee injury, was elevated to starter after the team let veteran Sam Darnold leave in free agency. The team has one concern with McCarthy so far: He sometimes throws too hard.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the quarterback has been throwing well overall but sometimes puts too much velocity on throws that require more touch.

“He’s working on different trajectories,” O’Connell said. “You’re still seeing the revolutions on the ball but not that heavy finish.”

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that McCarthy is showing progress, dropping a nice pass into the hands of tight end T.J. Hockenson during practice, then putting the proper touch on another pass to wide receiver Jalen Nailor.

“There is still more work to be done, of course. Earlier in the practice, McCarthy had rifled a short pass toward running back Aaron Jones, who couldn’t react fast enough to catch what should have been an easy completion,” Seifert wrote. “But close observers of practice can see the progress.”

Related: J.J. McCarthy Passes Vital Vikings Test

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.