.jpg) McCarthy with theMichigan Wolverines in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 – Minnesota Vikings | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2003-01-20)January 20, 2003 (age 22) Evanston, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 219 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school | IMG (Bradenton, Florida) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College | Michigan (2021–2023) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2024: 1st round, 10th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 2, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Jonathan James McCarthy (born January 20, 2003) is an American professionalfootballquarterback for theMinnesota Vikings of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMichigan Wolverines, leading the team to an undefeated regular season andCollege Football Playoff appearance in 2022. The following year, McCarthy led Michigan aperfect season and victory in the2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, the program's first title since 1997, earning himBig Ten Quarterback of the Year. McCarthy was selected 10th overall by the Vikings in the2024 NFL draft.
Jonathan James McCarthy was born on January 20, 2003, inEvanston, Illinois, and grew up inLa Grange Park, Illinois.[1][2] He attendedNazareth Academy for high school until transferring toIMG Academy inBradenton, Florida as a senior in 2020, following theCOVID-19 pandemic that led to the cancellation of Nazareth's football season.[3] In two seasons as the starting quarterback at Nazareth, McCarthy led his team to a 26–2 record with consecutive appearances in theIHSA Class 7A state championship game, winning the state title as a sophomore in 2018.[4] In his lone season at IMG, McCarthy led his team to an 8–0 record and a consensushigh school football national championship.[5]
McCarthy was a five-star recruit in the247Sports composite rankings, which uses the ratings of each major recruiting website.[6] At age 16, McCarthy said thatRyan Day "lied to my face" by telling him in March thatOhio State would not take a quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class until the end of the summer, but then accepted a commitment fromKyle McCord in April. Despite growing up an Ohio State fan, McCarthy committed torival Michigan the next month over offers from 24 other schools, including Ohio State.[7] Speaking about his new hatred of Ohio State, McCarthy said, "I used to love them. Now I want to kill them."[8][9][10]
McCarthy playedhockey growing up and said that it was actually his first love, not football. Around his freshman year of high school, McCarthy made the decision to give up hockey in order to focus on football. He called it "one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make."[11] In the eighth grade, McCarthy received ascholarship offer to play football atIowa State from head coachMatt Campbell.[12][13][14]
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In May 2019, McCarthy committed to playcollege football at theUniversity of Michigan and enrolled in 2021.[15][16][17] He appeared in 11 games for theWolverines during the 2021 season, primarily as a rotational backup behindCade McNamara. McCarthy completed 34 of 59 passes for 516 yards, with five passing touchdowns and two interceptions while also rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns.[18]
On September 4, 2021, McCarthy made his debut againstWestern Michigan, completing four of six passes for 80 yards, including his first collegiate touchdown pass, a 69-yard reception byDaylen Baldwin.[19][20] AgainstWisconsin, McCarthy scored his first collegiate rushing touchdown to go up 20–10 in the middle of the third quarter, also connecting with Baldwin late in the game for a 56-yard touchdown in a 38–17 victory.[21] McCarthy again scored two touchdowns versusMaryland in week 11.[22]
In the final game of the regular season againstOhio State, McCarthy helped Michigan defeat the Buckeyes to advance to the2021 Big Ten Championship. He entered the game midway through the third quarter in a pivotal drive and completed a 31-yard pass toRoman Wilson. Two plays later, McCarthy had a key six-yard run to the one-yard line, andHassan Haskins bookended it with a touchdown run for a 28–13 Michigan lead.[23] Michigan went on to beat the Buckeyes 42–27, and won a Big ten title the next week versusIowa, Michigan's first conference title since 2004.[24]
In theOrange Bowl (CFP semifinal), against the eventual national championGeorgia Bulldogs, McCarthy replaced Cade McNamara in the second half after McNamara fumbled, having already thrown two interceptions and not scoring a touchdown with the offense. McCarthy provided an immediate spark, throwing a touchdown and accounting for 137 yards after taking over for the final 16 minutes of game time (fourth quarter plus one minute).[25] This game started a quarterback competition leading into the next season, with many across college football and inside the program believing given both their performances in the Orange Bowl, and McCarthy's pedigree, that McCarthy would be the starting quarterback in 2022.[26][27]
Prior to the 2022 season, McCarthy competed with Cade McNamara for the role asMichigan’s starting quarterback.[28] Before the opening game, Michigan head coachJim Harbaugh announced that the competition was close and would continue at least for the first two games, with McNamara starting in the first week againstColorado State and McCarthy starting in the second week againstHawaii.[29]
McCarthy started and played most of the first half against Hawaii, completing 11-of-12 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Wolverines to a 42–0 halftime lead.[30] In his postgame press conference, Harbaugh announced that McCarthy would start againstUConn in week 3 and added, "He's the starter moving forward on merit."[31][32]
McCarthy continued as Michigan's starting quarterback, completing 15-of-18 passes against UConn for 214 yards, 18-of-26 passes againstMaryland for 220 yards, and 18-of-24 passes againstIowa for 155 yards.[33][34][35] AgainstIndiana on October 8, he completed 28-of-36 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception (on a tipped ball in the end zone).[36] To start November, McCarthy again had a three touchdown performance againstNebraska andRutgers in consecutive weeks, two passing and one rushing touchdown in each contest.[37][38]
McCarthy helped lead the Wolverines into an undefeated matchup with theBuckeyes on November 26. He passed for 263 yards and three touchdowns, including 75 and 69 yard scores byCornelius Johnson and a 45-yard grab byColston Loveland. McCarthy also scored a rushing touchdown in the 45–23 victory over Ohio State.[39]
In the2022 Big Ten Championship, McCarthy threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers,Ronnie Bell,Luke Schoonmaker and Colston Loveland, leading the Wolverines to a 43–22 victory versusPurdue, and Michigan's second straight Big Ten title.[40]
During theFiesta Bowl, McCarthy completed 20-of-34 passes for a career-high 343 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns, in the 51–45 loss toTCU in theCollege Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals. He also had 52 yards rushing and a score.[41]
For the 2022 season, McCarthy completed 208-of-322 passes for 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions for a 155.0 quarterback rating to go along with 70 carries for 306 yards and five touchdowns.[42]
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On September 2, 2023, in the season opener againstEast Carolina, McCarthy recorded his best career passing game at home, throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns. His 86.7% completion percentage (26-for-30) then ranked second-highest in program history, behindElvis Grbac's 90.9% (20-for-22) againstNotre Dame on September 14, 1991.[43] In the next game againstUNLV, McCarthy topped his previous percentage, completing 22-of-25 passes (88%) for 278 yards and two touchdowns.[44]
On September 30, McCarthy completed 12-of-16 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns againstNebraska, tyingTodd Collins for ninth-most in program history with 37 career passing touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown.[45] The following week, McCarthy had a passing touchdown and his first career game with two rushing scores in the victory overMinnesota. Over the next two weeks, McCarthy threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns againstIndiana, as well as 287 yards and a career best four passing touchdowns against the rivalMichigan State Spartans on the road. In three games in October, McCarthy accounted for 10 touchdowns.[46] AgainstPurdue on November 4, he completed 24-of-37 passes for 335 yards, passingTom Brady for ninth on the program's all-time passing yards list.[47]
On November 25, in a third consecutive victory againstOhio State, McCarthy completed 16-of-20 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown to Roman Wilson, moving ahead ofShea Patterson for seventh on the program's all-time passing yards list.[48] During the victory overIowa in the2023 Big Ten Championship, McCarthy became the fastest quarterback to reach 25 career wins in the 144-year history of Michigan football (26 starts).
On January 1, 2024, in a 27–20 overtime victory overAlabama in theRose Bowl, McCarthy completed 17-of-27 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers, Roman Wilson,Blake Corum, andTyler Morris. McCarthy was namedRose Bowl Offensive Player of the Game.[49][50] After the Rose Bowl, Harbaugh said that McCarthy is the greatest quarterback in Michigan football history. Tom Brady agreed with Harbaugh's statement in anInstagram comment.[51]
On January 8, 2024, againstWashington in theNational Championship, McCarthy completed 10-of-18 passes for 140 yards during the 34–13 victory, leadingMichigan to an undefeated 15–0 record and its first national championship title since 1997.[52][53]
McCarthy finished his career at Michigan with a 27–1 record (.964) as the starting quarterback, the best winning percentage inNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history (1978–present), the third-best winning percentage in major college football history, and the best by any college quarterback since 1971.[54][55] In each of his three years at Michigan, the Wolverines beat Ohio State, won the Big Ten title, and advanced to the CFP semifinal.[56][57][58][59]
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | |||
| 2021 | Michigan | 11 | 0 | 0–0 | 34 | 59 | 57.6 | 516 | 8.7 | 5 | 2 | 152.3 | 27 | 124 | 4.6 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Michigan | 14 | 13 | 12–1 | 208 | 322 | 64.6 | 2,719 | 8.4 | 22 | 5 | 155.0 | 70 | 306 | 4.4 | 5 | |
| 2023 | Michigan | 15 | 15 | 15–0 | 240 | 332 | 72.3 | 2,991 | 9.0 | 22 | 4 | 167.4 | 64 | 202 | 3.2 | 3 | |
| Career[60] | 40 | 28 | 27–1 | 482 | 713 | 67.6 | 6,226 | 8.7 | 49 | 11 | 160.5 | 161 | 632 | 3.9 | 10 | ||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 219 lb (99 kg) | 31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 4.23 s | 6.82 s | |||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[61][62] | ||||||||||||
McCarthy was selected by theMinnesota Vikings 10th overall in the2024 NFL draft.[63] He was the fifth of six quarterbacks taken in the first round, tied with the1983 draft for the most in NFL history.[64]
McCarthy was named the backup toSam Darnold to opentraining camp.[65] Following the preseason opener against theLas Vegas Raiders, where McCarthy threw two touchdowns, he reported soreness in practice and was found to have fully torn hismeniscus in his right knee.[66][67][68] McCarthy underwent surgery to repair it and was placed oninjured reserve, becoming the first quarterback selected in the first round to miss his entire rookie season due to injury.[69][70]
AfterSam Darnold signed with theSeattle Seahawks infree agency, McCarthy was named the Vikings' starter heading into the2025 season.
In McCarthy's NFL debut against thedivision rivalChicago Bears, he led the Vikings back from an 11-point 4th quarter deficit by throwing for two touchdowns and running for a third to win 27–24. For this performance, he won NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[71] McCarthy became the first quarterback in NFL history to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his NFL debut, the first Vikings quarterback to throw multiple touchdowns in an NFL debut sinceFran Tarkenton did so in the team's inaugural season in1961, and the first quarterback to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit of at least 10 points in an NFL debut sinceHall of FamerSteve Young did it with theTampa Bay Buccaneers in 1985.[72] He was the first QB to post a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in his debut sinceCam Newton in 2011.[73]
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2024 | MIN | 0 | 0 | — | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | MIN | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 24 | 41 | 58.5 | 301 | 7.3 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 67.2 | 7 | 50 | 7.1 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 47 | 3 | 1 |
| Career | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 24 | 41 | 58.5 | 301 | 7.3 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 67.2 | 7 | 50 | 7.1 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 47 | 3 | 1 | |
NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 1, 2025)[74]
McCarthy is a practitioner ofmeditation, which he began doing in high school.[3][75][76][77] McCarthy is engaged to hishigh school sweetheart Katya Kuropas, whom he proposed to just weeks after winning the national title.[78]
On May 21, 2025, McCarthy announced that Kuropas was pregnant and due in September 2025. On September 12, 2025, McCarthy and Kuropas welcomed their first child.
