Daily Norseman on J.J. McCarthy
From the article
McCarthy's completions in 11-on-11 team drills were mostly of the short variety, with a few intermediate passes mixed in... it simply looks like a struggle for him processing... he holds the ball too long, waiting for a receiver to come open until he's under pressure and opts for a checkdown.
STACKED’s take
McCarthy's slow processing and checkdown-heavy game mirrors 2025 struggles; starter role unlikely.
McCarthy's 11-on-11 completions were mostly short with a few intermediate passes; he has not attempted an over-the-top bomb since training camp started, compared to one or two attempts per practice last year. The source identifies a pattern of slow processing—McCarthy holds the ball too long waiting for receivers to come open, leading to checkdowns under pressure. Kevin O'Connell was observed coaching McCarthy between plays to speed up his processing, including a gesture indicating he needed to think faster. The source concludes McCarthy has reached a plateau that is not high enough to be a quality starter and remains at the same level as 2025 training camp, with the question now being whether he or Carson Wentz would be the better backup.
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