Vikings fans brave the heat to watch J.J. McCarthy for the ‘official start’ of training camp

Late in Vikings practice Saturday, J.J. McCarthy let a pass fly deep to receiver Jordan Addison during one of several 11-on-11 periods.

The young Vikings quarterback had been cheered many times during practice, the first in training camp open to fans, but none as loudly as this moment.

It was a reward for those who stuck it out to watch two hours of practice: a rainbow of a spiral that arced around 50 yards from McCarthy’s hands and into Addison’s.

The smoke that blew through Friday from Canadian wildfires was gone, but the heat was high Saturday at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, peaking at 88 degrees around the time McCarthy made that throw.

Fans were already filtering in an hour before gates opened to the main practice fields, taking refuge from the sun in the shaded side of the TCO Stadium stands before practice started and cooling off with rainbow JonnyPops.

Gates opened just after head coach Kevin O’Connell began his remarks for the day following the team’s midday walk-through.

“We’ve been working for four or five days, but this does feel like the official start to training camp,” O’Connell said. “Football feels like it’s here. We’re off to a really good start as a football team.”

Up against the side of the performance center, also under a small bit of shade, safety Josh Metellus smiled, discussing his contract extension and his love for Minnesota and the Vikings fan base.

About an hour later, the stands were full, and current Vikings offensive linemen Donovan Jackson, Logan Brown and Walter Rouse stood alongside Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, leading a Skol chant at one end of the field as individual practice work started.

Outside of errant calls from fans for Carter, wide receiver Justin Jefferson — who attended practice but did not participate because of a hamstring strain — and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., among others, reactions to the happenings on the field stayed fairly subdued until McCarthy completed a pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson over the middle in an 11-on-11 period midway through practice.

Then, in a goal-line 7-on-7 period shortly after, McCarthy found running back Aaron Jones, who started a Skol chant of his own from the front right corner of the end zone in celebration.

“He’s different,” Jones said of McCarthy on Friday. “He’s straight to the point, but he knows how to relate to everybody. He means business about it. He wants to win, and he wants to get better every day.”

When the final horn sounded on practice, the last few fans who’d braved the heat for the entire practice trickled out of the stands after a handful of players signed autographs.

More fans were waiting outside the practice field gates for a team-organized autograph session with the offensive line in the respite of shade offered by popup tents and the side of the building.

Those lucky enough to sit under the covered tents inside gates stuck around a bit longer to keep their eyes on McCarthy, who lingered on the field with many of his teammates as family and friends were welcomed on.

From across the field, McCarthy could be seen signing an autograph for a young fan and then snapping a photo with him.

Even that got cheers, as a group of other children looking down on the scene broke into a “McCarthy” chant.

The most notable is Jefferson, who will be held out of training camp for the time being because of a minor left hamstring strain announced Friday. He wore a leg sleeve as he hung out at practice Saturday.

Metellus remained out through Saturday over a minor ankle issue but is expected to return to practice Monday. He did participate in Saturday’s walk-through.

“We wanted to give him today and then tomorrow to let that thing totally die down,” O’Connell said. “I know the immediate expectation was ‘Whatever was going on there should be over now.’ ... He needs another day or so.”

Left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) and right guard Will Fries (tibia) were limited to primarily individual work the entire week. Fries saw a few snaps in slow-moving team periods but did not participate for multiple reps. Both spent team periods Saturday on bikes on the sideline.

Rookie linebacker Chaz Chambliss, who was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list Monday with a right foot injury, was seen on the far practice field working out with trainers a couple of times throughout the week.

Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was at practice Saturday but did not participate for an unknown reason.