EAGAN, Minn. — The first day was a teaching moment. The second day was a revelation.

That, in a nutshell, has been the J.J. McCarthy experience in his first full NFL preseason. After an encouraging but not perfect debut against the Texans in the preseason opener, and a Wednesday joint practice with the Patriots that was, as head coach Kevin O’Connell put it, a mix of “ups and downs,” the Vikings’ rookie quarterback exploded onto the scene Thursday.

It was a performance that had all the hallmarks of a franchise quarterback. Not the flash-in-the-pan, highlight-reel stuff that makes for a good social media clip, but the kind of sustained excellence that builds a team’s confidence and gets a head coach to start using words like “conviction” and “decisive.”

McCarthy’s numbers from the joint practice tell part of the story: 15-of-19 passing with four touchdowns and just two sacks taken. Compare that to fellow top-10 pick Drake Maye, who, while impressive in his own right, took five sacks. But the numbers don’t capture the full picture. McCarthy wasn’t just checking down. He was throwing with authority, layering balls over linebackers, and zipping them into tight windows with a newfound rhythm.

After a Wednesday practice where he felt the Patriots’ defense threw looks at him that he hadn’t seen on film, McCarthy made a conscious decision to reset. “Hear the call, play the call, focus on my fundamentals and go through the pure progressions and play from there, not knowing what you’re gonna expect,” he said.

The results were immediate and sustained.

The day started in the red zone, a place that has been a mixed bag for McCarthy throughout camp. But it’s where he truly started to cook. He hit T.J. Hockenson on a precise out route, rifled a ball to Thayer Thomas, and then dropped a beautiful, layered pass to Jordan Addison in the back of the end zone—a throw he later called one of his favorites of the day.

The highlight, however, was his command in the face of pressure. On a play where he was admittedly “sacked” by multiple Patriots, McCarthy scrambled and uncorked a deep ball to running back Aaron Jones that had both the sideline and the crowd on its feet. It wasn’t a practice-field highlight, it was a game-winning type of play.

But it was his work in a simulated one-minute drill that truly sealed the performance. Trailing by six with one timeout, McCarthy led the Vikings down the field, making a series of quick, decisive throws. The drive culminated in the ultimate payback: a game-winning touchdown to Addison, thrown over the same Patriots cornerback who had picked him off the day before. The message was clear: McCarthy is not only talented, but he learns from his mistakes.

The Vikings are being deliberate with their rookie. O’Connell announced Thursday that McCarthy will not play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Patriots, giving the start to Sam Howell, who has had a mixed camp but a strong showing in the first preseason game. It’s a move that signals the team’s confidence in McCarthy. They’ve seen what they needed to see. The rookie is ready.

The J.J. McCarthy era in Minnesota feels less like a slow burn and more like a rocket ship. There will be bumps, as there were on Wednesday. But Thursday showed the Vikings, and their fans, a tantalizing glimpse of the future. It’s a future that looks, and feels, incredibly bright.