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Kyle Rudolph kept it real when discussing the situation the Vikings find themselves in with J.J. McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings‘ 2025 campaign was a bit of a roller-coaster ride. Despite dealing with some struggles at the quarterback position, the Vikings still managed to finish the year with a 9-8 record. While they didn’t make it to the playoffs, there are things that the team can build off of moving into 2026. Of course, in order to do that, they need to figure out what is going on with J.J. McCarthy at the quarterback position.
McCarthy’s first season in the NFL was uneven to say the least, leading to serious questions about his future. If you ask former Pro Bowl Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, he doesn’t think the team should give up on McCarthy just yet, but he admits things need to improve. In an exclusive interview with Heavy on Vikings, Rudolph discussed Minnesota’s season, while also talking about his involvement in GENYOUth’s upcoming “Taste of the NFL” event ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Kyle Rudolph Thinks Vikings Need to Add Competition for J.J. McCarthy This Offseason
While McCarthy was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he didn’t play at all in his first pro season after suffering a torn meniscus in August. McCarthy made his debut with the Vikings in 2025, but his play in his 10 starts under center left a lot to be desired (140/243, 1,632 YDS, 11 TD, 12 INT, 37 CAR, 181 YDS, 4 TD). While Rudolph liked some of what he saw from McCarthy this season, he also knows that there’s a lot of room for improvement.
“(He’s) a competitor with a ton of energy, maybe too much energy at times,” Rudolph said of McCarthy to Heavy on Vikings. “Obviously, there’s struggles from an accuracy standpoint, from a fundamental standpoint. You heard Kevin O’Connell talk about it throughout the course of the year; that was something that they were always working on in practice.”
Having spent 12 seasons in the NFL himself, Rudolph knows just how important it is to have good quarterback play as a pass catcher. That was something the Vikings’ offensive playmakers did not benefit from this season, and the guy who was impacted the most was Justin Jefferson. At times, Jefferson struggled to hide his frustration with Minnesota’s offense woes, but Rudolph doesn’t seem worried about the All-Pro wideout’s status with the team moving forward.
“I think Justin is kind of that rare breed,” Rudolph said of Jefferson. “He’s a guy that’s a leader in that locker room, and not once did you ever hear people in that building talking about Justin Jefferson being a problem. I think Justin’s a guy who will continue to work, he’ll get better as a receiver, continue to elevate his game, and I guarantee you next year, whoever the quarterback is for the Minnesota Vikings will find ways to get Justin Jefferson the ball.”
When it comes to the offseason, though, the Vikings need to make a better plan at quarterback for next year. Rudolph envisions the team bringing in some competition for McCarthy, saying, “I think we’ll see Minnesota go out and get a veteran quarterback to come in and compete against J.J. … I think everybody in the Minnesota Vikings organization wants J.J. to be the guy, but you can’t just hand it to him. You see what happened last year when they did that.”
Kyle Rudolph Discusses GENYOUth’s Upcoming ‘Taste of the NFL’ Event
GettyKyle Rudolph has been involved with the “Taste of the NFL” event for the past several years
Since retiring from the NFL, Kyle Rudolph has kept busy by working as an analyst for NBC Sports, but he’s also gotten involved with several charitable organizations. One such organization is GENYOUth, whose goal is to help address food insecurity among children in America. Rudolph has served as a board member of GENYOUth since 2021, meaning he’s been involved with the “Taste of the NFL” event ahead of the Super Bowl for the past few years.
“(It’s) an event that not only brings football and food together, but it does it in a way where we raise money for an incredible cause and leave an impact far beyond just the game being played in this market,” Rudolph said of “Taste of the NFL.” “It’s things that I love the most: Football, food, and making a difference, being able to leave an impact on a community.”
Several different chefs and restaurants will be serving up food for folks in attendance, with Rudolph revealing that a chili burger made by Chef Mark Bucher at one of the previous “Taste of the NFL” events is still one of the best things he’s ever eaten in his life. The most important part of the event for Rudolph, though, involves GENYOUth’s work with the communities surrounding the Super Bowl’s host city every year.
“The Super Bowl is the biggest event in sports, culture, everything in our country from an entertainment standpoint. The Super Bowl is the mecca. And what Taste of the NFL allows us to do is leave an impact far beyond just the game on Sunday,” Rudolph said.
This year, “Taste of the NFL” will be hosted at The Hibernia in San Francisco, CA, on Feb. 7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PST. Fans who are interested in attending the event can visit either www.TasteoftheNFL.com or Ticketmaster to purchase tickets.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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