Is JJ McCarthy Eligible to Win “Offensive Rookie of the Year” Despite Being Drafted in 2024?

The Vikings QB JJ McCarthy, drafted last year, spent his rookie season on the sidelines due to the injury he sustained in the offseason.

Is JJ McCarthy Eligible to Win “Offensive Rookie of the Year” Despite Being Drafted in 2024?

JJ McCarthy (Image via NBC Sioux Falls)

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The Minnesota Vikings came back from a deficit in their first game of the season against division rivals Chicago Bears. The Vikings’ marvellous comeback in the last quarter shot their debutant quarterback JJ McCarthy into the limelight.

JJ McCarthy, who famously led the Michigan Wolverines to an undefeated championship in his final year of college, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 Player’s Draft. Although he was expected to start in his rookie season, an injury to his Achilles tendon during the offseason squashed his plans. The rookie spent the season on the sidelines and debuted only in his second year.

In his historic debut game, McCarthy silenced his critics with a three-touchdown second half (two through the air, one on the ground), erasing an 11-point deficit. Eventually, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. However, fans have questioned whether JJ McCarthy will be in contention for the OROY award.

The AP OROY, institutionalized in 1967, is usually awarded to the best-performing offensive rookie. Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud were the last two recipients of this award. And, due to the same reason, McCarthy is not eligible for the award.

The confusion arose from the specific patch McCarthy had on his jersey during his debut. The patch read NFL Premiere 2025, which prompted the fans to think McCarthy might be a potential candidate for the award.

Furthermore, the availability of a precedent in the NBA was also pointed out by some. The basketball association allows rookies to win the counterpart award in their second year, which was famously done by Ben Simmons in 2017-18.

In fact, Omarion Hampton is the leading candidate for the OROY award according to the NFL executives. The Los Angeles Chargers running back was stellar in his debut, with 17 touches for 61 yards in his Week 1 debut vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers, being a playoff contender, added to their choice, and the Raiders, not being a playoff contender, were noted as a reason why Ashton Jeanty wasn’t considered.

In addition to Hampton and Jeanty, the NFL execs also voted for Tyler Warren, Travis Hunter, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, Matthew Golden, and RJ Harvey.

JJ McCarthy, however, is a prime candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year

In their list, the NFL execs also voted on potential OPOY, DPOY, DROY, and even the CPOY. The Vikings’ 22-year-old JJ McCarthy received the most votes from the NFL executives in the Comeback Player of the Year.

J.J. McCarthy
JJ McCarthy (Image via Imago)

The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award doesn’t have an official, rigid set of criteria defined by the league, but there are well-established factors that voters consider. The young debutant falls under the category of players who returned from adversity. The award considers players who come back from a major challenge that significantly disrupted or derailed their career, which McCarthy sustained last season.

According to one AFC executive, McCarthy had a solid system he could trust to delegate the workload and a coach who would get the best out of him. They also pointed at the presence of seasoned wideouts TJ Hockenson and Justin Jefferson.

However, the CPOY award often has many challengers. He’s listed at +1200 on DraftKings, ranking just behind Dak Prescott (+225), Christian McCaffrey (+225), Aidan Hutchinson (+350), Trevor Lawrence (+500), and Daniel Jones (+750). While the first three had been impacted by injuries in the last season, Lawrence and Jones have been quite weak in the last few seasons.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts’ big wins in Week 1 brought these two QBs into the mainstream. Prescott and Hutchinson also received votes from the NFL executives as well.

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