J.J. McCarthy proves NFL QBs are ‘just really good’ at golf, says PGA star Will Zalatoris

NFL quarterbacks have a thing for golf, and according to PGA star Will Zalatoris, they’re pretty good at it. On Thursday on “Up and Adams,” Zalatoris acknowledged he was impressed watching quarterbacks swing the clubs, especially Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy.

“I actually saw this,” Zalatoris said. “All these quarterbacks, they just somehow sneaky or just really good at golf, and I don't know what, how it translates. I mean, maybe it's a little bit like, you know, just how the throwing motion or whatever, but I saw some really good actions out of the quarterbacks, so I'm not surprised."

That’s high praise from a guy who’s been battling the best in golf. Zalatoris, a former Masters runner-up, knows what an elite swing looks like. So, when he says quarterbacks like J.J. McCarthy have “really good actions,” he’s not just throwing compliments. He’s breaking down the mechanics.

Quarterbacks and golf make sense. Both require precision, footwork and a repeatable motion. Zalatoris hinted that throwing a football might translate to the golf swing. And if McCarthy is already making waves on the course, imagine what he could do after a few offseasons of fine-tuning his game.

For Zalatoris, who won the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship and has three runner-up finishes in the majors, recognizing a QB’s golf game isn’t just about casual praise. It’s about seeing another level of athleticism.

With J.J. McCarthy’s name now in the mix, don’t be surprised if he starts making noise in the NFL’s golf circles.

J.J. McCarthy: The only bust of the 2024 QB class?

Six quarterbacks went in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. History says not all will succeed, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio thinks J.J. McCarthy could be the odd man out.

"History would tell us, if we're looking at the basic odds, that J.J. McCarthy is going to be the bust of the 2024 quarterback class because everybody's worked out, and you can't go six-for-six," Florio said on Thursday. "We've never seen six-for-six, so history tells us he's the bust."

That’s a bold take for a quarterback who entered the league as a national champion. J.J. McCarthy led Michigan to a title before landing with the Vikings, riding a wave of momentum. But an injury stalled his early NFL development, leaving him as the only rookie QB yet to see real action.

Still, McCarthy put up strong college numbers: 44 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his last two seasons. And the Vikings believe in him. September will mark his first meaningful snaps since that championship run.

Bust? Too early to tell. But J.J. McCarthy has a chance to rewrite the narrative and prove he belongs among the league’s next wave of franchise QBs.