EAGAN, Minn. -- It's almost time for the debut of J.J. McCarthy : Take 2.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback got a quick two-game taste of the NFL this season before a high right ankle sprain sidelined him for five games. While he was out, a debate raged: Had he been too inexperienced to open the season as the Vikings' starter? Should they have re-signed 2024 starter Sam Darnold or late-2024 addition Daniel Jones , or perhaps inked free agent Aaron Rodgers ?

After all, McCarthy had produced one magical quarter -- accounting for three touchdowns in a Week 1 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears -- and seven shaky quarters in his two-game stint. By the end of it, his 20.3 QBR ranked No. 32 of 33 qualified quarterbacks in the NFL.

The team seemed to express its own doubt, albe

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