J.J. McCarthy would hardly consider his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings a wasted one even though the torn meniscus in his right knee forced him to begin his career with film study and in the training room.

The good news for McCarthy is he won’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders; he’ll have head coach Kevin O’Connell — a former NFL quarterback — helping him navigate everything, as well as teammates on both sides of the ball that are going to make it easier on him.

"I know I'm ready to start. All the work I put in and the confidence in my skills and abilities, being able to do my job and simplify things. Take it one day at a time, one play at a time," McCarthy said, via Fox9 in Minnesota. "I have a tremendous coaching staff, a tremendous group of guys around me that I can lean on, and they can lean on me."