J.J. McCarthy learned what it means to be "a true pro" from Sam Darnold

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was able to play only one preseason game during his rookie year.

But as he detailed this week, he still gained a lot from sitting and watching things unfold over the course of 2024 — particularly from now-Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold had the best year of his career, which he parlayed into a three-year contract with Seattle as a free agent. But along the way, McCarthy was able to pick up plenty from the No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft.

“Just being a true pro,” McCarthy said in his press conference this week when asked what he learned from Darnold. “Showing up, being the same guy every single day. It didn't matter if he had four touchdowns one week or had a not-so-great game the other week. He showed up, and he was the same guy every day. And that's the biggest thing I took from him.”

Darnold completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the regular season last year, good for a passer rating of 102.5.