They have so much in common, it’s only natural there would be a connection between Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Falcons‘ Michael Penix Jr.
They are second-year quarterbacks, drafted two spots apart last year and getting their first taste of the September NFL spotlight. And that’s after having battled each other for a national championship and both pushing through injury to now meet again on the field Sunday in Minnesota.
“I love Michael,” McCarthy said Wednesday, fresh off being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his NFL debut performance. “Just being able to be with him during the pre-draft process, to really understand his process and who he is as a man, and his personality, it’s no surprise he’s in the position he’s in right now. I’m extremely excited to see him again and compete against him. He’s a great player, and it’s going to be a good test for our defense.”
Penix, who fell just short of victory against the Bucs on Sunday in his fourth NFL start, has the same respect for McCarthy.
“He’s a cool person — good guy off the field as well,” Penix said. “Obviously, on the field, you see what he can do. But I trained with him as well pre-draft, all that prep. I was with him every day. So, getting to know him a little bit, he’s a genuine guy and a guy that can make football plays.”
The last time the two squared off, there was even more on the line. In January 2024, Michigan and McCarthy beat Washington and Penix for the CFP National Championship. McCarthy didn’t have to do too much, mainly handing off to two 100-yard rushers, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, and throwing for 140 yards. Meanwhile, Penix, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up, threw 51 passes for 255 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy celebrates winning the 2024 CFP National Championship Game at NRG Stadium in Houston. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
“He had my Heisman vote, I’m not gonna lie,” McCarthy said days before that game. “Michael Penix, everything that he’s been through, all the adversities battled through, his injuries and just continuing to stick to the process and keep pressing on.
“That’s something that Coach [Jim Harbaugh] all the time talks about: The longer term favors those that press on. And he’s an ideal epitome of that. … I simply have a lot respect for him.”
Michael Penix Jr. took to the air to try to beat J.J. McCarthy and Michigan within the 2024 title recreation, however the Huskies got here up brief. (Photograph by David Buono/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
Penix, 25, performed not more than six video games in any of his 4 seasons at Indiana as a consequence of knee and shoulder accidents, then rose to prominence in his two years at Washington. McCarthy, 22, had a wholesome three years at Michigan however needed to cope with a season misplaced to a knee harm as an NFL rookie, delaying his debut by a yr.
Each are recognized for his or her arms however made a few of their largest performs in Week 1 with their legs. Penix, dealing with a fourth-and-2 on the Bucs’ 3-yard line within the fourth quarter, leaped on the sidelines for a primary down, after which did the identical on fourth-and-goal, stretching out and simply barely getting the ball into the top zone for a go-ahead landing. The Bucs would rally for a rating of their very own to win 23-20.
McCarthy was extra lucky, along with his 14-yard scramble for a landing offering the successful margin within the Vikings’ comeback victory over the Bears in Chicago, lower than 20 miles from his hometown.
READ MORE: ‘We Knew He Had That Dog in Him:’ Inside J.J. McCarthy’s Debut Comeback Win
The 2 quarterbacks watched final yr as 4 different QBs taken within the first spherical — Washington’s Jayden Daniels, Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Denver’s Bo Nix and New England’s Drake Maye — made spectacular impacts as rookies. Penix went eighth to the Falcons and McCarthy tenth to the Vikings, so through the pre-draft course of, each groups frolicked evaluating the quarterback they will now face on Sunday.
“Michael Penix is a man that we studied loads, know him very properly, and understand how gifted he’s as a thrower of the soccer,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned. “He really excelled on the collegiate stage, pushing the ball downfield, discovering his receivers and throwing guys open and discovering methods to have large quantities of explosives from the pocket.
“What I believe individuals are beginning to study him is his means to have an effect on the sport along with his athleticism. Sunday was an important instance of that. … He discovered a method to get the ball in the long run zone. I assumed he was a driving drive behind that recreation being so aggressive. It was spectacular.”
Each Penix and McCarthy are first-year full-time starters on NFC groups with playoff aspirations. The Vikings play in one of many NFL’s hardest divisions, and the Falcons try to finish a seven-year playoff drought. A rivalry that began with a nationwide title on the road continues Sunday, and in a scheduling quirk, their groups will meet once more subsequent season in Minnesota.
McCarthy’s wonderful fourth quarter towards the Bears — three touchdowns, a primary for any participant in his NFL debut — got here after a tough begin that included a pick-six for Chicago. Falcons coach Raheem Morris mentioned he targeted on the outcome and McCarthy’s central position in Minnesota’s 27-24 victory.
“He is a confirmed winner,” Morris mentioned. “He is gone out and gained on the collegiate stage, his first recreation as a professional. I believe he simply goes out and simply performs soccer and does what he is presupposed to do. Everyone is aware of on this recreation there’s going to be ups and downs. It does not matter how he began, it is actually how he completed.”
Although they’re simply getting began, that might already describe each McCarthy and Penix. In any case, the long run favors those that press on.
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade overlaying the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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