J.J. McCarthy has yet to take an NFL snap in the regular season, but that hasn’t stopped the oddsmakers from tabbing him as one of the main candidates for 2025 MVP.

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, but the No. 10 overall pick in last year’s draft is expected to be the starter this year, barring the unlikely addition of Aaron Rodgers.

The Vikings went 14-3 last season and added even more talent in free agency, giving them one of the best rosters in the NFL.

If Minnesota can get good quarterback play, it could be a true Super Bowl contender, which could thrust McCarthy into the MVP race.

SportsBetting AG is being proactive, tabbing McCarthy with +3300 odds to win MVP, which is ahead of veteran signal-callers like Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield and Tua Tagovailoa.

2025 NFL MVP Odds

• Josh Allen +500
• Lamar Jackson +550
• Joe Burrow +850
• Patrick Mahomes +900
• Jayden Daniels +1200
• Justin Herbert +1400
• Jalen Hurts +2000
• C.J. Stroud +2200
• Brock Purdy +2800
• J.J. McCarthy +3300
• Jared Goff +3300
• Aaron Rodgers +3300
• Jordan Love +3300
• Caleb Williams +3300
• Dak Prescott +3300
• Saquon Barkley +3300

McCarthy impressed in his first preseason with the Vikings but tore his meniscus after going 11-of-17 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his debut against the Raiders.

He’s had a season of mental reps, but no one knows exactly what he will deliver on the field. Could it all come together for McCarthy in 2025?

It wouldn’t be unprecedented, as four other quarterbacks have won the league MVP in their second season, including Patrick Mahomes in 2018 after seeing limited action as a rookie.

Second-Year QB MVPs

• Dan Marino, 1984
• Kurt Warner, 1999
• Patrick Mahomes, 2018
• Lamar Jackson, 2019

The supporting cast will play a big role.

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson is an elite trio of weapons, while Aaron Jones returns at running back.

The Vikings beefed up their offensive line in free agency, adding Will Fries and Ryan Kelly to the interior in hopes of giving McCarthy plenty of protection.

Minnesota finished top-5 in points allowed last season and added Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to an already-impressive defensive front.

The Vikings have one of the most talented teams in the NFL, and coach Kevin O’Connell is universally praised for his work with quarterbacks, so this does not seem out of left field.

Great Offshore Sportsbooks odds expert Liam Solomon believes McCarthy is priced right:

“Teams with quarterbacks on rookie contracts can stack the roster around them, and that’s what the Vikings are doing in 2025,” Solomon said. “Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson won MVP with this formula, while Jalen Hurts came close in 2022. J.J. McCarthy has a lot to prove, but the Vikings are set up to win, and 33/1 odds for MVP is not as outlandish as it might originally seem.”