Two NFC North rookie quarterbacks are embarking on their journey toward superstardom, if you believe the hype. The race is on to see who gets there first.
Both were top-10 draft picks. Both have arm talent. Both move well and can improvise. Both were drafted to be franchise quarterbacks. And, if they fulfill their potential, the division will have a compelling rivalry for at least the next decade.
Every throw they make in camp will over-scrutinized at this time of year, when there's no hitting and the primary defender is air. Can't wait for the bulging eye emojis on social media with video clips of their perfect throws to the back corner of the end zone during 7-on-7 drills, or the distraught emojis when a pass is picked off or a swing pass is botched.
Of these two immense talents, only one is supported by the best infrastructure for growth and development.
It's the Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, who was selected with the 10th overall selection in April's NFL draft.
The other contestant is Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who is considered a generational talent. He also has a Heisman Trophy in his case and was the No. 1 overall selection this year.
Yet McCarthy is in the better situation.
McCarthy won't get the keys to the car right away. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell last week announced a competition at quarterback, but Sam Darnold is QB1 and should be QB1 when the regular season opens. McCarthy will receive some first-team reps but isn't expected to start. This allows him to develop without being thrown right into the fire. O'Connell can see how McCarthy prepares. He can throw the entire playbook at him, only parts of it or rewrite it, depending on how McCarthy absorbs it.
The development of a player at one of the most important positions in sports is not linear. McConnell will evaluate how McCarthy handles successes and failures while determining what track he should be placed on. The kid is going to have enough problems going up against Brian Flores' defenses in practice.
"I also don't want J.J. to feel like he's got any kind of preset ceiling or floor to where he's at," O'Connell said. "That's the excitement that I know he feels showing up to go to work every day."
Williams is expected to be the savior of a franchise whose last true great quarterback, Sid Luckman, played when FDR was president. Williams has no veteran placeholder to watch or use as a sounding board. The keys to the Ferrari are his. He will have to adapt to the speed and sophisticated defenses from Week 1. After years of losing, expectations are high in Chicago. Williams has to adapt, fight off a brutal quarterbacking legacy and win. Not the most optimal situation.
The cautious approach is not guaranteed to work. Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson are among those who flourished right away. But Patrick Mahomes and Donovan McNabb — both groomed by head coach Andy Reid and assistant Brad Childress — benefitted from watching from the sidelines early. And this is the prudent approach with McCarthy.
Both McCarthy and Williams have strong supporting casts. The Bears seriously upgraded their receiving corps by trading for Keenan Allen and drafting Rome Odunze with their other first-round pick. But Chicago doesn't have the best receiver in the NFL; the Vikings do, in Justin Jefferson. Jordan Addision, when he's not screwing up behind the wheel of an automobile, is a future star. When T.J. Hockenson recovers from a torn ACL, the Vikings will have the better tight end. Both teams have good running backs. But Williams doesn't have bookend tackles protecting him. The Vikings have Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. If McCarthy has to play, he will have very good talent around him.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus is a defensive savant but has struggled to find a proper offensive coordinator. He's hoping that hiring Shane Waldron away from Seattle is in Williams' best interests. O'Connell is the offensive majordomo on the Vikings. He has his opportunity to mold McCarthy into what he believes what a contemporary NFL quarterback should be. Having an offensively oriented head coach should be a plus.
The Vikings and Bears are approaching quarterback development in two different ways. We won't know for a few years which route was the best one. But in Year 1, McCarthy is set up better for success.
