In a move that pairs better with a protein shake than a helmet, the Vikings opened training camp with J.J. McCarthy riding a wave of high praise and an added pile of pressure.

Coaches insist the praise is earned and the pressure is a feature, not a bug, a seasonal upgrade that comes with its own fan club and a meeting schedule longer than last season’s playbook.

McCarthy flashed a smile during the first press conference, as if he had just discovered free parking and a snack bar that never runs out of pretzels.

The Vikings have introduced a new metric called the Hype to Game Time Ratio, which with this group still tips toward hype even in helmet to helmet drills.

The defense watched the spectacle and decided to host a help group for future quarterbacks on keeping up with praise and avoiding the urge to quote stars on social media.

Front office analysts say the added pressure is designed to motivate, while the team shop released a limited edition pressure badge that lights up whenever McCarthy completes a pass in practice.

A locker room source notes that the real exam will arrive in post practice interviews where every question becomes a fresh opportunity for a soundbite.

The Vikings officially announced a hype playlist curated by a local DJ who once advised a thermostat to chill out, because nothing screams leadership like a tempo drop.

Fans showed up with signs that look like stadium ad space and banners that double as workout towels, proving the only thing louder than the whistle is the crowd’s optimism.

Management assures fans that this is all about building the next great quarterback and not a reality show, though the production crew just filed another portable camera permit.

Some analysts say this added pressure signals a healthy franchise, as long as no one expects a ring of honor to materialize before the first preseason game.

The camp will press on with the solemn pace of a montage and the occasional reveal that the youth movement now comes with a merchandise line.

And so the Vikings leave the field with McCarthy under praise and pressure, both cranked to eleven, while the rest of the league reads every update as a potential plot twist.

To keep the momentum, the snack bar has promised a fresh extra slice of pizza for every clean pocket and every completed pass, a policy that will surely be rescinded by Week 3 if the coach changes his mind.