J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. Face Off for First Time Since National Title Game

They have so much in common, it’s only natural there would be a connection between Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr.

They are second-year quarterbacks, drafted two spots apart last year and getting their first taste of the September NFL spotlight. And that’s after having battled each other for a national championship and both pushing through injury to now meet again on the field Sunday in Minnesota.

“I love Michael,” McCarthy said Wednesday, fresh off being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his NFL debut performance. “Just being able to be with him during the pre-draft process, to really understand his process and who he is as a man, and his personality, it’s no surprise he’s in the position he’s in right now. I’m extremely excited to see him again and compete against him. He’s a great player, and it’s going to be a good test for our defense.”

Penix, who fell just short of victory against the Bucs on Sunday in his fourth NFL start, has the same respect for McCarthy.

“He’s a cool person — good guy off the field as well,” Penix said. “Obviously, on the field, you see what he can do. But I trained with him as well pre-draft, all that prep. I was with him every day. So, getting to know him a little bit, he’s a genuine guy and a guy that can make football plays.”

The last time the two squared off, there was even more on the line. In January 2024, Michigan and McCarthy beat Washington and Penix for the CFP National Championship. McCarthy didn’t have to do too much, mainly handing off to two 100-yard rushers, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, and throwing for 140 yards. Meanwhile, Penix, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up, threw 51 passes for 255 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.

“He had my Heisman vote, I’m not gonna lie,” McCarthy said days before that game. “Michael Penix, everything that he’s been through, all the adversities battled through, his injuries and just continuing to stick to the process and keep pressing on. 

“That’s something that Coach [Jim Harbaugh] always talks about: The future favors those who press on. And he’s a perfect epitome of that. … I just have so much respect for him.”

Penix, 25, played no more than six games in any of his four seasons at Indiana due to knee and shoulder injuries, then rose to prominence in his two years at Washington. McCarthy, 22, had a healthy three years at Michigan but had to deal with a season lost to a knee injury as an NFL rookie, delaying his debut by a year.

Both are known for their arms but made some of their biggest plays in Week 1 with their legs. Penix, facing a fourth-and-2 at the Bucs’ 3-yard line in the fourth quarter, leaped at the sidelines for a first down, and then did the same on fourth-and-goal, stretching out and just barely getting the ball into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. The Bucs would rally for a score of their own to win 23-20.

McCarthy was more fortunate, with his 14-yard scramble for a touchdown providing the winning margin in the Vikings’ comeback victory over the Bears in Chicago, less than 20 miles from his hometown.

READ MORE: ‘We Knew He Had That Dog in Him:’ Inside J.J. McCarthy’s Debut Comeback Win

The two quarterbacks watched last year as four other QBs taken in the first round — Washington’s Jayden Daniels, Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Denver’s Bo Nix and New England’s Drake Maye — made impressive impacts as rookies. Penix went eighth to the Falcons and McCarthy 10th to the Vikings, so during the pre-draft process, both teams spent time evaluating the quarterback they’ll now face on Sunday.

“Michael Penix is a guy that we studied a lot, know him very well, and know how talented he is as a thrower of the football,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He truly excelled at the collegiate level, pushing the ball downfield, finding his receivers and throwing guys open and finding ways to have massive amounts of explosives from the pocket. 

“What I think people are starting to learn about him is his ability to affect the game with his athleticism. Sunday was a great example of that. … He found a way to get the ball in the end zone. I thought he was a driving force behind that game being so competitive. It was impressive.”

Both Penix and McCarthy are first-year full-time starters on NFC teams with playoff aspirations. The Vikings play in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions, and the Falcons are trying to end a seven-year playoff drought. A rivalry that started with a national title on the line continues Sunday, and in a scheduling quirk, their teams will meet again next season in Minnesota.

McCarthy’s amazing fourth quarter against the Bears — three touchdowns, a first for any player in his NFL debut — came after a rough start that included a pick-six for Chicago. Falcons coach Raheem Morris said he focused on the result and McCarthy’s central role in Minnesota’s 27-24 victory.

“He’s a proven winner,” Morris said. “He’s gone out and won at the collegiate level, his first game as a pro. I think he just goes out and just plays football and does what he’s supposed to do. Everybody knows in this game there’s going to be ups and downs. It doesn’t matter how he started, it’s really how he finished.”

Though they’re just getting started, that could already describe both McCarthy and Penix. After all, the future favors those who press on. 

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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