How does J.J. McCarthy’s start to his career compare to some of his peers?

The growing pains from J.J. McCarthy were always going to be a public spectacle.

As much as the Vikings would have preferred to keep his development under lock and key until he was a finished product, that’s not at all how it works in the NFL when it comes to a young quarterback selected in the first round.

Asked about some of the ups and downs McCarthy has navigated as he’s gained experience under center, head coach Kevin O’Connell downplayed any cause for concern in the grand scheme of things. As he reflected on McCarthy’s tendency to get away from his basic fundamentals as a game progresses, for example, O’Connell noted that it’s not uncommon for a young quarterback to have his footwork get a little bit wild in the heat of battle.

“It’s all normal,” O’Connell said. “It’s a part of wh