The Minnesota Vikings made the tough decision to let Sam Darnold walk in free agency after a career season and put the franchise in the hands of young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who won a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines.
Unfortunately, it has not been the sort of season the Vikings were hoping for under McCarthy. The young talent has struggled to stay healthy throughout the grueling NFL season, and when he’s been available, his production has been a ways off from what Vikings fans grew accustomed to under Darnold.
However, McCarthy has shown real growth in his last two games. McCarthy threw for three touchdowns against the Washington Commanders and another two and a rushing score against the Dallas Cowboys, both victories.
Unfortunately for McCarthy, the rushing score drew the ire of head coach Kevin O’Connell.
O’Connell made it clear that he wasn’t a fan of McCarthy doing the popular “griddy” dance on his way to the endzone, and McCarthy admitted he was told not to do it during practice.
“I did it in practice, and I was told not to do it,” McCarthy said, according to ESPN. “So, just me being who I am, it’s like, ‘Oh, now I’m more enticed to do it.’ But if it’s that open, obviously just get in the end zone no matter what — and be coachable and do what my coach says. So yeah, I’ll definitely get a minus [grade] for that.”
J.J. McCarthy just had to do the Griddy 😂 pic.twitter.com/RgmsCfEfCW
— ESPN (@espn) December 15, 2025
Fans reacted to McCarthy going against his coach’s wishes and doing the griddy on social media.
“Idc what old heads say, I’m pro-Griddy every time fr. Imo if he can dance after the play, we should stop policing joy asap,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“This is why we watch. Not just for football, for the Griddy energy,” another fan added.
“This lack of respect for his coach is concerning. You’re not somebody,” someone else wrote.
It’ll be interesting to see if McCarthy is awarded more freedom if his play continues to improve.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.