Cam Newton Facing Backlash Over Vikings’ JJ McCarthy Comment
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy‘s career continues to come under scrutiny just months into its beginning — but Cam Newton took it to a new level.
While addressing Shedeur Sanders not getting a chance to play as a backup for the Cleveland Browns, Newton brought McCarthy’s name into the mix, arguing that Sanders, a fifth-round pick, is better than McCarthy despite the disparity in their draft status.
“When I saw J.J. McCarthy go top 10, a first-round pick, I said, ‘Shedeur Sanders is better than J.J. McCarthy today,” Newton said on the “4th and 1 Show.”
Newton’s message was not well-received by not just Vikings fans, but NFL fans at large.
NFL Fans React to Cam Newton’s J.J. McCarthy Take
You know it’s a bad take when a rival has to get involved, exactly what a Green Bay Packers fan did in response to Newton’s dig at McCarthy.
“McCarthy’s a winner. Vikings O-line sucks and [Jordan] Addison was out for both of his starts. Also, he’s a leader. It’s not about him. It’s about the team,” the fan wrote. As a Packers fan, I WISH they had Sanders instead. Cam should stick to not wanting to recover fumbles.”
Many fans came after Newton with personal attacks, from his attire to his reputation for espousing controversial opinions in the media landscape.
Same dude who was surprised the Falcons called Kirk and not him😂,” one fan replied.
“No common sense. No fashion sense. Total nonsense,” a second fan added.
Many fans voiced their defense of McCarthy, who had a much more illustrious college career than Sanders.
McCarthy isn’t alone in his slight from Newton. The former Carolina Panthers star has taken issue with quarterbacks who benefit from the system around them, specifically defending Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts.
lol glad Vikings fans getting a taste of this clown. Buddy hating on hurts now JJ,” an Eagles fan said.
Many fans came to McCarthy’s defense, noting how early it is in either quarterback’s career to make the call of who is better at the next level.
“Sure JJ won a national championship and lost 2 games total at Michigan but did he secure a .500 career record and a loss in the McDonald’s quarter pounder with cheese bowl? Didn’t think so,” one X user wrote, referring to Sanders playing in a bowl game over the College Football Playoff.
“JJ catching strays. He can have his opinion. Only time will tell. I don’t see the need to constantly rank these young QBs and put them down. Nobody knows what either can be until they develop/play significant time. JJ only started 2yrs in college; far from a finished product,” another fan added.
McCarthy is still a largely unknown commodity in the NFL with just eight quarters of action to his name — and until a better picture of his ability can come to light, he will be subjected to these attacks.
“Can JJ get [expletive] healthy and prove these clowns wrong. This is ridiculous. What does Shedeur have over JJ? Less athletic, less arm, less pro-style fit, less ability to throw with anticipation etc,” a fan wrote.
When Will JJ McCarthy Return to Be Vikings Starting QB?
After a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, McCarthy has been dealing with a high ankle sprain that has forced him to miss the next two games. Carson Wentz hasn’t fared much better, going 1-1 in his two starts, behind a patchwork offensive line that is currently missing three starters.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has maintained that he will not play McCarthy until he is 100% recovered and can practice a full week before a game. The timeline seemed to be between two to four weeks, which would see McCarthy play in a Week 6 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at the latest.
However, The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported that the Vikings medical team said it could be up to six weeks — putting that Week 6 return coming out of the bye into limbo.
The Vikings have a short week of preparation the following week, facing the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.
Whether O’Connell would be willing to bring McCarthy back on a short week of prep remains to be seen and is of concern.
Lions make roster moves ahead of matchup with Bengals, one of which could possibly mean injured starter may not play
The Detroit Lions will be taking on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Previous to their travels to Ohio, the Lions have made two roster moves, and two new guys will be making their Lions' debuts. Here is what the team did:
Elevated OT Devin Cochran from the practice squad
This one feels pretty notable because Taylor Decker did not practice once this week. He's questionable to play on Sunday, and it has been normal for him to miss a practice or two while the Lions try to get him healed up from his shoulder injury, but in this case, he didn't practice at all, and this game could be seen as an opportunity to rest him.
Cochran is familiar with the Bengals. He played there for three seasons and was there this summer, too. He was pretty close to making their 53-man roster as a swing tackle, but got edged out. Could the Lions consider starting him on Sunday, or could they possibly go with Giovanni Manu getting his first career start? We'll see what happens when inactives come out around 3:00 P.M. on Sunday. Decker could still play.
Elevated Tre Flowers from the practice squad
Flowers just got here. That's a pretty quick turnaround for him to jump into practice for a few days and then get a chance to play. We'll see how much he hits the field for the Lions on defense. With Khalil Dorsey out, he's likely to see the field for special teams reps for sure. This is a big game for Flowers. If he balls out, he has a chance to secure a spot and get playing time while the Lions wait to get Dorsey and D.J. Reed back from injury.
