J.J. McCarthy may have spent his rookie season recovering from offseason knee surgery, but the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback has been plenty impressed with the team's performance in his absence. Particularly that of head coach Kevin O'Connell.

After the Vikings improved to 13–2 following their narrow 27–24 victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16, McCarthy took to social media with some major praise of O'Connell. The Vikings rookie boldly declared that Kevin O'Connell deserved to win the NFL's Coach of the Year award.

"What's the requirements for this Coach of The Year thing again? Asking for a friend," wrote McCarthy on X.

Minnesota's 13 wins are its most in a season since O'Connell's first season as the organization's head coach, and they still have two more weeks to play. The franchise has never won more than 13 games in a season, a feat they've achieved three times now––in 2017, 2022 and this year in '24.

The Vikings have difficult matchups looming against NFC North rivals in the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in Weeks 17 and 18 respectively, needing just one victory to set their franchise record for wins in a season.

McCarthy figures to enter the mix in 2025, once he's fully recovered from the knee injury. Based on his comments on social media, he seems eager to get onto the field and make plays in O'Connell's system.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as J.J. McCarthy Makes Bold Declaration About Kevin O'Connell After Vikings' Week 16 Win.