The Minnesota Vikings came into the season with a revamped roster.
They made changes at several positions, with the most notable being at quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy was their third Week 1 starter in as many seasons, and a changing of the guard can often lead to some growing pains and frustrations.
They also had some shakeups on the offensive line, adding a few new players, including rookie Donovan Jackson, who was tasked with protecting McCarthy in his first career start.
While rookie linemen can sometimes take time adjusting to the pace of the NFL, Jackson didn’t seem to have any problems.
As analyst Ryan Fowler noted on X, Jackson had 31 pass-protecting snaps against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and didn’t allow a sack, pressure, QB hit or hurry.
Vikings LG Donovan Jackson was excellent in his NFL debut tonight (31 pass pro snaps):
• 0 sacks
• 0 pressures
• 0 QB hits
• 0 hurries~ 89.1 pass pro effectiveness grade
Great start for the Day 1 pick back in April.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) September 9, 2025
He did his job better than anyone could have expected, warding off Bears defenders all night long.
McCarthy had plenty of moments in this game when he struggled and didn’t have much time to throw, but that pressure wasn’t Jackson’s fault.
This is an encouraging sign for the Vikings, and if Jackson was this dominant in his first NFL game, there’s no telling how strong he will look by the end of his first season.
The Vikings will face tougher defensive tests than the Bears, of course, which will be a good time for Jackson to show what he can do against some of the best players in the league.
NEXT: J.J. McCarthy Has High Praise For Kevin O'Connell
