BB.💥 BREAKING NEWS: Bruce Arians unleashes a blunt warning about J.J. McCarthy’s NFL readiness as the Vikings’ struggles reach a boiling point ⚡

The Minnesota Vikings took a huge gamble this offseason by deciding to let quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones depart in free agency, opting in favor of their 2024 First Round Draft Pick J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy missed his rookie season with a torn meniscus, but was tabbed as ‘the guy’ heading into this season.

While Darnold (Seattle Seahawks) and Jones (Indianapolis Colts) are excelling with their new teams, McCarthy is struggling mightily. Although he has dealt with a high-ankle sprain this season, he has started in six games for Minnesota. Over that span, the team is just 2-4.

The former Michigan Wolverine has completed just 54.1% of his passes for 929 yards (36th in NFL) and six touchdowns (T-34th in NFL). He has also tossed 10 interceptions, which is tied for the fourth most in the league. The sample size is not large, but it appears as if Minnesota could have made a massive mistake.

Bruce Arians calls J.J. McCarthy ‘not NFL ready’

Former NFL head coach Bruce Arians joined ‘The Pat McAfee Show‘ on Tuesday, where he blasted McCarthy for ‘not being NFL ready’.

“The alter-ego thing needs to be AP… accurate passer,” Arians said. “We don’t need snot bubbles and tears. You play quarterback, not linebacker. We don’t need all this hyped up bulls**t. Just go play f*****g quarterback and throw the damn ball to the right guy. You’ve got the talent. Now I go back to his senior year. He threw 35 passes in the fourth quarter of his entire senior year? That’s not NFL ready. Then you miss your rookie year.”

“So he’s had no development as a passer and like mechanically, you can’t think about mechanics in the NFL. You’ve got to be thinking about where the hell I’m going with this ball in two seconds. This things got to go somewhere right there because of this. He’s missing all of that right now. First of all, how the hell do I get back there? How do I read it? Where’s it going and now he’s thinking about where the hell to throw it. That’s a bad combination brother. Really bad.”

Following Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers (in which McCarthy passed for just 87 yards), McCarthy placed in the concussion protocol. This puts him in danger of missing his sixth game of the season, which would mean he’s missed 24 of Minnesota’s 30 games over the past two seasons.

Carr’s Bold Message to Geno Smith: ‘A Leader Keeps Composure — You Can’t Just Flip Off the Fans’

In a fiery response to Geno Smith’s controversial gesture toward fans, former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr didn’t mince words. Carr, known for his leadership on and off the field, weighed in on the incident after Smith was caught on camera flipping the middle finger to Raiders fans following a disappointing home loss. Carr’s comments shed light on the expectations of a leader, particularly when emotions run high.

“This isn’t just about one bad gesture. It’s about respect, and that’s something that’s earned, not taken for granted,” Carr said in an interview following the incident. “Geno knows better. I get the frustration — I’ve been there. But as the leader on the field, you’ve got to keep your composure, especially in front of the fans. You can’t just flip them off and think it’s gonna slide by. This could cost him more than just a few fans.”

Carr’s reaction underscores the importance of maintaining control in high-pressure situations, especially as the starting quarterback of an NFL team. While Smith’s gesture might have been a moment of emotional release after a tough loss, Carr believes the long-term consequences of such actions are far greater than what might be understood in the heat of the moment.

Leadership and Responsibility on Display

Carr, who spent years as the face of the Raiders’ offense, knows better than anyone the expectations that come with being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Fans look to the leader on the field not just for physical performance but also for emotional stability. In Carr’s view, Smith’s reaction was a failure of leadership, one that could damage his relationship with the team’s fanbase and possibly even affect the team’s morale.

“When you’re the quarterback, you’re not just playing for yourself. You’re playing for every fan who’s out there, for your teammates, for the organization,” Carr continued. “When things aren’t going right, it’s your job to rally the team, not act out in frustration. That’s what makes a true leader.”

The Consequences of Losing Control

Smith’s moment of frustration was caught on camera and quickly spread across social media, where fans and analysts alike weighed in on whether his behavior was justified. While many understood the emotions that come with a tough loss, Carr believes that reacting to those emotions in a negative way can have a lasting impact.

“Geno’s a great quarterback, but no one is bigger than the team or the fans,” Carr explained. “You can’t just throw away respect like that. Leaders are meant to inspire, to keep the locker room together, and that gesture could really sour the relationship with the very people who support you.”

Moving Forward

As the season continues, all eyes will be on Geno Smith to see how he handles the fallout from this incident. Carr’s message is clear: composure and respect are non-negotiable for a leader in the NFL

, and it will be Smith’s responsibility to prove that he can rebound from this mistake and show his fans, teammates, and coaches that he has the maturity and emotional intelligence to lead.

In the end, it’s a reminder that being a quarterback is about more than throwing the ball accurately — it’s about how you carry yourself and handle the highs and lows of the game. Geno Smith’s journey may be on the line, but as Carr emphasized, the true test of leadership comes when facing adversity with composure.