Vikings' McCarthy explains intense glare in win vs. Lions, reveals alter ego
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy explained his serious demeanor after being spotted with an intense focus throughout last Sunday's 27-24 victory over the Detroit Lions and carrying that energy into the locker room postgame.
On Wednesday, McCarthy credited his intensity to his gameday persona "Nine," a reference to his jersey number. He said the alter ego developed from his frustration of being sidelined after the 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury and the first five games of 2025 because of a right ankle sprain.
"It really kind of started to show up this year," McCarthy said, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "And it came about last year during IR. Just never had a full season, where you want to be out there so freaking bad, but you can't. It was just this built-up anger that was kind of ready to just explode, and I chose to harness it instead of letting it go into a self-destructive kind of way."
Head coach Kevin O'Connell joked that he's learned to "get the hell out of the way" for his own personal safety when McCarthy channels "Nine."
McCarthy noted that he spent most of his collegiate career playing with a smiley face on his hand, believing that if you smile and have fun, "you're going to play better."
"But I also think there's a lot of power that comes from that built-up anger that you can transmute into your performance," McCarthy added.
McCarthy completed 14 of 25 pass attempts for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the win against the Lions. Minnesota has been victorious in two of McCarthy's three starts this season.
The Vikings (4-4) host the Baltimore Ravens (3-5) on Sunday.