While Chicago Bears fans are relishing the fact that they might finally have their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, other NFL franchises aren't nearly as fortunate. One such franchise is NFC North division rival Minnesota, which also spent its first-round pick in last year's draft on a quarterback, though a bit later than the Bears did.
The Vikings spent the 10th overall pick on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who had helped lead the Wolverines to a National Championship a few months before the draft. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to injury, so the 2025 season essentially is serving as his rookie year. McCarthy has certainly played like a rookie in his seven starts so far this season.
It's been quite entertaining for Bears fans to watch play out, as McCarthy went from starting his career with a come-from-behind win against Chicago in Week 1 to not looking so hot in Week 11 when he threw two picks. Vikings fans who once thought McCarthy was their franchise quarterback probably aren't thinking that as much lately.
McCarthy's been so bad that not only did he come in dead last this week in CBS Sports' quarterback rankings but he was even behind 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who literally just re-entered the league after five years away from the NFL.
Yes, somehow the 22-year-old McCarthy is considered to be a worse quarterback than a guy twice his age who hasn't played in half a decade. Absolutely hilarious.
Bears fans loving every second as J.J. McCarthy freefall continues
The even funnier part about all of this is that McCarthy is actually coming off his best performance of his short career. He tossed three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a Vikings shutout win over the Commanders this past weekend, and somehow that wasn't enough to move him out of the last-place spot or to consider him a better quarterback than Rivers.
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While the Bears looked to have achieved the impossible in the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting Caleb Williams first overall (he's 10th on these same quarterback rankings, for what it's worth), it appears the Vikings have struck out on their McCarthy pick nine selections later. One draft gifted the Bears their quarterback of the future and gave a division rival a major headache.
Dare we say, best draft ever?