Harrison Phillips entered the NFL in 2018, the same year the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen.
The former Bill spent four years watching the eventual NFL MVP grow from a talented greenhorn into a leader. So when Phillips cites Allen when discussing his new quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, it has additional weight.
"I've commented before about (how) he came to me the week after his injury to try to learn more about the defense," the Vikings defensive tackle said on Monday, via SI.com. "Asking those great questions. He's really stepped up in the personal power role (this year). In the locker room, I'm constantly seeing him go up to new guys, to new players, dapping each other up, sitting on the couches and just having conversation. Where last year it was off to rehab, off to meetings. He understands that we have to build a family here and that you can't have unique results without unique relationships.
"And then, man, he's got some confidence. And he reminds me of Josh Allen when I was with him in Buffalo, coming into his own and understanding the power that he has to lead this organization, and he's doing a fantastic job doing that."
Entering his fourth year in Minnesota, Phillips isn't saying McCarthy is destined to become Allen -- and he's not saying he won't either. Yet, it takes a specific type of mentality to develop into an elite-level quarterback and leader.
Allen entered the NFL with a host of questions. Many thought he'd never develop into what he's become. Few, if any, have improved their accuracy as much as the Bills passer, underscoring his ability to tweak and enhance every facet of his game. The leadership aspect grew from that ability to improve himself.
Similarly, McCarthy came in with questions about whether he could transition into a difference-making starter after not putting up prolific numbers at Michigan. The Year 1 injury added another set of questions. However, as Phillips noted, McCarthy understands his role as a leader and how to navigate a locker room with veterans who have been around far longer than himself.
The jury is still out on what McCarthy looks like on the field, but he seems to understand plenty well how to be a leader. That's a big part of the job of an NFL quarterback.
