The NFL preseason kicked off Thursday, and now Saturday the Vikings will take to the turf to battle against the Raiders.

J.J. McCarthy will be dawning the purple and gold for the first time during Saturday’s game. The rookie quarterback graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023 and was the Viking’s first round pick in the 2024 draft.

“I’ve been having the time of my life being out here playing football every single day, being surrounded by such great people, coaches, players, staff, everybody in the building has just been amazing and I can constantly see the growth in all of us and myself every single day. And, you know, it gives me a lot of excitement going into Saturday and seeing if we can put it out there when it really matters,” said McCarthy.

The fresh face also said he had a visit from veteran Peyton Manning prior to his NFL draft.

“You know, Peyton Manning gave me this great wisdom before I entered the league. And he was saying, you know, respect the NFL, but don’t over respect it. Don’t speed up your footwork. Don’t speed up your thought processes. And, you know, that’s something that I felt victim to that day. So, it was great learning experience,” said McCarthy.

The Vikings will take the field at 3pm, and you can learn more at Vikings Official Team Website | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com