In less than two years’ time, J.J. McCarthy has gone from a celebrated Michigan Man to a man that just lost his job. On Tuesday, the Vikings announced that Kyler Murray won his position battle against McCarthy and will be Minnesota’s starting quarterback. 

The announcement is the latest in a series of setbacks for McCarthy since he helped lead Michigan to the school’s first national title since 1997. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy has made just 10 starts for the Vikings, and while he did manage to win six of those starts, it clearly wasn’t enough to convince Kevin O’Connell that he is the right person to lead Minnesota’s offense moving forward. 

Only 23, McCarthy’s NFL career already seemingly appears to be on life support. It’s worth revisiting how things got to this point so quickly for a player who — despite his turbulent start — still has plenty of time to turn things around, whether it’s in Minnesota or somewhere else. 

Michigan’s title run tainted by sign-stealing scandal 

Michigan’s championship season was scrutinized before, during and after the Wolverines captured the national title. In August 2025, the NCAA imposed significant punishments on Michigan stemming from a sign-stealing scandal that began prior to the team’s championship run in 2023. 

At this point, it’s no longer a debate as to whether or not Michigan crossed the line during that time and received a considerable advantage over its opponents. The question remains how big of an advantage did it give the Wolverines and their players, McCarthy included. 

Regarding McCarthy, it’s fair to wonder how much his play was aided by the scandal and the advantages it gave him and his teammates. His current struggles, fairly or not, would suggest that Michigan’s hidden advantage back then helped him considerably. 

At the time, however, the scandal didn’t deter the Vikings from selecting McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. Looking back, it’s clear that the Vikings were comfortable with McCarthy’s body of work at Michigan that included a 28-1 record during his final two seasons as the school’s starting quarterback. 

Season-ending injury 

McCarthy was slated to spend his rookie season in 2024 as Sam Darnold’s backup. That plan quickly fell through, however, after it was announced following the Vikings’ preseason opener that McCarthy had torn his meniscus. His rookie season ended nearly as fast as it started. 

Instead of using his rookie season getting live reps during the preseason and practice reps during the regular season, McCarthy spent it rehabbing his injury. It’s safe to say that the injury significantly hampered his growth as an NFL quarterback. 

Darnold, however, ran with his opportunity to lead Minnesota’s offense. He helped the Vikings post a 14-3 record before signing a multiyear deal with the Seahawks after Minnesota let him test the open market. Part of the reason why the Vikings let Darnold walk was the belief they had in McCarthy. 

A year after leaving Minnesota, Darnold hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after helping the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl. 

Success followed by more injuries 

Healthy, McCarthy entered the 2025 season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. He won his first career start in dramatic and historic fashion. In leading the visiting Vikings to a come-from-behind win over the Bears on Monday night, McCarthy was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. His performance included becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his NFL debut. 

In leading the Vikings from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit, McCarthy went 13 of 20 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a score.   

McCarthy’s meteoric rise wouldn’t last long, however. The following week, the Vikings were held to just six points in a home loss to the Atlanta Falcons with McCarthy throwing for just 158 yards and tossing a pair of picks. After the game, it was announced that McCarthy had suffered a high ankle sprain. The injury would sideline him for the Vikings’ next five games. 

McCarty returned for the Vikings’ Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions, and the outcome was eerily similar to Week 1. McCarthy again threw for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to go with a rushing score helping lead Minnesota to a close win. He struggled during the next three games, however, as the Vikings lost each game while scoring a combined 42 points. Following the Vikings’ third straight loss (a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers that saw McCarthy throw for just 87 yards and two interception), it was announced that McCarthy had sustained a concussion that would sideline him for Minnesota’s Week 13 loss to the Seahawks. 

McCarthy returned the following week and had two of his best performances of the season. He threw a season-high three touchdowns during the team’s 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders. In Week 15, he threw for a season-high 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception during the Minnesota’s 34-26 win over the Cowboys in Dallas. 

The injury bug hit again, however, during the Vikings’ eventual Week 16 win over the Giants when McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his throwing hand that led to him not playing in Minnesota’s Week 17 win over the Lions. McCarthy returned for Week 18 and threw for 182 yards in Minnesota’s season-ending win over the Packers. 

McCarthy’s rookie season was truly a rollercoaster that clearly cast doubt in the Vikings’ brain trust about his ability to lead the offense moving forward. While he did win more of his starts than he lost, McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11). He also completed just 57.6% of his passes. 

Injuries undoubtedly factored into McCarthy’s struggles last season while opening the door for the team to bring in some competition during the offseason. 

Vikings name Kyler Murray starter: Why it was the right move and why Minnesota might need a new QB in 2027

Garrett Podell

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Murray comes to Minnesota 

Minnesota acted quickly in terms of bringing in quarterback competition. On March 12, shortly after free agency had started, the Vikings acquired Murray less than two weeks after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. 

Murray’s arrival presented a stiff challenge for McCarthy. While he had his share of ups and downs in Arizona that also included some notable injuries, Murray was nonetheless a two-time Pro Bowler who had largely played well for the Cardinals when he was healthy. During his seven seasons in Arizona, Murray completed an impressive 67.1% of his passes with more than twice as many touchdowns (121) than interceptions (60). He also ran for 32 scores while averaging a whopping 6 yards per carry. 

It goes without saying that Murray wasn’t always set up for success in Arizona. In Minnesota, he entered a pretty ideal situation in terms of playing for a quarterback whisperer in O’Connell and having arguably the NFL’s best receiver to throw to in Justin Jefferson. The general consensus was that Murray would beat out McCarthy if he is able to take advantage of his new situation. That’s ultimately what happened. 

A new situation 

Early on, it was clear that something was off with McCarthy and Murray. That became clear when both quarterbacks offered far different assessments of their partnership. McCarthy’s comments made it apparent that he looked at Murray as competition and not as a mentor. 

McCarthy’s mindset was understandable then as he was in the middle of a competition. But now that the competition is over, it’ll be interesting to see how McCarthy handles his new situation. Rest assured that his handling of 2026 will have an impact on how things go for him in 2027 and beyond. 

File photo of Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma© AFP

Romell Glave sealed a 100m double for Great Britain at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham as he followed up Amy Hunt’s success by storming to gold ahead of team-mate Jeremiah Azu.

Glave crossed the finish in 10.09 seconds, seven hundredths of a second faster than Welshman Azu, and Germany’s Owen Ansah took bronze.

The 26-year-old entered the race as British champion, a title he won on the same track in June, and executed a brilliant race to become king of the continent.

His victory came 24 hours after Hunt stormed through the field to seal a first senior title.

Glave hailed Great Britain’s 100m display in Birmingham, telling the BBC: “It is domination. Total domination.”

A potential British clean-sweep of the podium was not possible after Louie Hinchliffe was forced to withdraw from the final due to an injury sustained during the semi-finals.

Former Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs was the big name on the start line for the final but the Italian – plagued by injuries since his success in Tokyo – limped over the line in seventh.

That cleared the way for a British showdown and Glave was a dominant winner.

“It is an amazing feeling,” Glave added. “Just the work I put in to come here and execute my race. We have been working on my start, and I was able to execute that today.

“Upgrading from a bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling.”

Earlier, local favourite Matthew Hudson-Smith made it through to Wednesday night’s 400m final, but perhaps not in the dominant fashion the home favourite would have hoped for.

There were concerns the Olympic silver medallist might have sustained an injury after finishing second in his semi-final, where he appeared to grimace, but he later confirmed he had simply “misjudged” the race.

“It was fun. We had fun,” Hudson-Smith said. “I misjudged it a little bit. I thought I was clear. I was looking at the board and I saw the guy try and surge, but he ran a PB so he’s messed up with the final ahead.

“I kind of did the job. I felt the noise of the fans the whole way round.”

Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Sporting Club Delhi stormed into the quarterfinals of the 135th Durand Cup with commanding wins over their respective opponents on Monday.

In Kolkata, MBSG thrashed CISF Protectors 6-0 in a Group A match to make it to the last-eight stage.

Sahal Abdul Samad was the star of the show, scoring a first-half hat-trick (17th, 19th, 37th), while Manvir Singh (24th), Jamie Maclaren (68th) and Tekcham Abhishek Singh (73rd) also found the scoresheet.

The victory saw Mohun Bagan finish top of Group A with a perfect nine points, while CISF Protectors exited the tournament without a point.

In Ranchi, SC Delhi outclassed Indian Air Force 7-1 to reach the knockout stage from Group C.

Already assured of a quarterfinal berth after winning their opening two games, Mohun Bagan showed their attacking intent from the outset, although the CISF defence held firm during the opening exchanges.

The resistance ended when Dejan Drazic released Tekcham with a superb pass from inside his own half.

His effort took a deflection and fell to Liston Colaco, who squared for Sahal to finish.

Sahal doubled the advantage moments later, tapping home after Manvir Singh released Drazic on the right before the Serbian picked him out with a neat cross. 

Manvir then made it 3-0, controlling Tekcham’s inviting cross before calmly finding the net.

Sahal completed his hat-trick in spectacular fashion, picking up possession near halfway, gliding past several defenders and slotting a composed right-footed finish into the net.

Mohun Bagan dominated the first half with 75 per cent possession and went into the interval four goals ahead.

Coach Panagiotis Dilimperis made four changes at the break, but the Mariners continued to dictate proceedings. Manvir and Colaco came close before Mohun Bagan eventually added a fifth.

Sahal produced a sublime no-look through ball to release substitute Maclaren, who kept his composure to slot the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

Tekcham completed the rout, finishing into the roof of the net after combining with Liston.

CISF threatened late on through Gaurab Das and Gurpal Singh, but Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Syed Zahid Hussain stood firm.

In Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium, the goal-scorers for SC Delhi were Rodriguinho (11th), Juan Sebastian Pena (39th, 65th), Duvan Mina (55th), Lalrinliana Hnamte (63rd), Clarence Savio Fernandes (79th) and Richard Ndayishimiye (90+4).

Samuel K Vanlalpeka (50th) was the lone scorer for Indian Air Force.

The victory saw SC Delhi complete their group-stage campaign with a perfect record of three wins from three matches and nine points.

Indian Air Force remained third in the group with three points from two matches and will face Jamshedpur FC in their final group fixture on August 13.

Heading into the stretch run, the Milwaukee Brewers appear to be poised for a fourth consecutive NL Central title based on having the best overall record in the majors, but an inexperienced rotation and rugged schedule raise questions.

And that doesn’t count the looming postseason specter of the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Brewers in the National League Championship Series last season.

The Brewers headed into a six-game West Coast road swing this week against the Padres and Dodgers atop the NL Central and the best overall record in the majors.

Milwaukee lost at San Diego 3-2 on Monday in the opener of a three-game series, trimming its division lead to five games over the Cubs and 1 ½ games better than Tampa Bay for the best overall record. The Dodgers, despite losing eight of their last 10, lead the NL West by 7 ½ games and are four games back for the best overall record.

But at the trade deadline, the Dodgers pried two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal away from Detroit. The Brewers, although reportedly in talks for Skubal, then switched gears and acquired veteran right-hander Dustin May from the Cardinals to bolster a young, inexperienced rotation.

The Brewers rotation is led by hard-throwing Jacob Misiorowski (11-5, 1.76 ERA), who leads the majors with 204 strikeouts in 133 innings. His ERA is the lowest in the majors among qualified pitchers.

Along with the addition of May, the Brewers rotation received a boost with the return of left-hander Kyle Harrison from the injured list.

After almost a month on the injured list with left forearm tightness, Harrison (9-2, 2.84 ERA) returned last week to toss five innings of one-hit ball to get the win in a 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh, striking out 10, including the final eight batters he faced, before leaving with cramping in both legs.

Behind those three, the Brewers six-man rotation includes Logan Henderson, rookie Shane Drohan, and Robert Gasser, who have a combined 39 big league starts. Rookie Brandon Sproat, who was inconsistent in 19 starts, was sent down after May was acquired.

“I call them rookies, maybe Harrison’s not technically a rookie, but think of the non-established starting pitchers that we’re going with,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “It’s been amazing.”

The 28-year-old May, who was 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts for St. Louis, won his Brewers debut, allowing two runs on three hits in six innings in a 5-2 win over the Pirates last week.

“It’s not as sharp as he can be, but he made the big pitches,” Murphy said following May’s debut. “It’s just beautiful to have that experience out there.”

Behind the starters, the Brewers back end of the bullpen has settled in with versatile Aaron Ashby (13-2), 94 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings; Abner Uribe, who has 18 holds along with six saves; and closer Trevor Megill, who has rebounded from a slow start for 21 saves in 23 opportunities.

Chad Patrick and DL Hall, both former starters, provide effective and flexible middle-inning relief, and the Brewers acquired veteran reliever Antonio Senzatela (9-3) from the Rockies at the deadline.

“They’re the best record in baseball for a reason,” Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers said during the recent weekend series in Milwaukee, where the Brewers won the last two games 4-3, including a 10-inning walk-off Sunday. “They pitch the ball really well. Every guy they roll out of the bullpen is a good, unique arm. Their team taking a lead, or they’re close, you’re going to have a hard time scoring.”

Ashby, Uribe, Megill and Hall all pitched in relief of Misiorowski in Sunday’s win. Uribe entered Monday unscored upon his last 21 games, and Megill was unscored upon in 22 of his last 23 outings.

The Brewers lead the National League in team ERA at 3.47, are second in strikeouts, and tied for first with the Dodgers in opponents batting average at .219.

Offensively, the Brewers are last in the majors home runs. But Milwaukee is fifth in the NL in runs scored, second in doubles, second in walks, and fourth in stolen bases.

To win the division, the Brewers will have to win within the division with 18 of their 24 games in September against NL Central opponents, including six games against the Cubs.

The Brewers, who are 22-11 this season against division opponents, are 4-2 against the Cubs and 1-2 against the Dodgers.

Last season, the Brewers held off the Cubs in five games in the NLDS, winning the decisive fifth game 3-1 in a bullpen game started by Megill, followed by Misiorowski, who got the win with by allowing one run in four innings. Ashby, Patrick and Uribe preserved the first postseason series win since 2018.

The Brewers, who have qualified for the postseason seven of the last eight years, also had the best regular season record last season, which counted for little in the NLCS against the Dodgers.

There’s still a long way to go and even if the Brewers can hold off the Cubs, Tarik Skubal will be wearing Dodger blue in the postseason.

The Kerala government has completed its inquiry into the controversy over the proposed visit of football superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentina team to the state and has submitted the report for further action.Sports Minister O J Janeesh said on Monday that the report was prepared by the Sports Department Special Secretary after examining the available files. However, he said the findings would not be made public yet as the report is confidential.“The report has been submitted to the government in a highly confidential manner. I can divulge only this much at the moment. The government will take an appropriate decision on it and inform everyone,” he said.The inquiry was ordered after repeated questions from football fans and the media about why the earlier government’s much-publicised plan to bring Messi and Argentina to Kerala never happened.“Football lovers had also demanded an inquiry. When we conducted necessary examinations, we felt that further investigation was required,” Janeesh said.

What the inquiry looked into

The Sports Department also examined whether the required rules and procedures for bringing an international football team or player to India had been followed. Reports have claimed the inquiry found serious issues, including the alleged absence of a clear agreement for bringing Messi and Argentina to Kerala. Janeesh, however, refused to comment on the findings or financial details.The controversy began during the tenure of former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, who had repeatedly announced that Messi and the Argentina team would visit Kerala. He had said that the necessary permissions had been obtained and that the sponsor had paid the proposed match fee.The visit eventually did not happen, with Abdurahiman later saying Argentina had cited difficulties in travelling to Kerala at the scheduled time.

Former minister rejects allegations

Abdurahiman has rejected the allegations, saying the government followed all required procedures and did not suffer even a “single rupee” loss. He said the agreement was between the Argentina Football Association and a private sponsor, meaning the government had no financial liability.“Therefore, the claim that the Sports Department was unaware of the proceedings is completely false,” Abdurahiman said.He said a private sponsor was used because football associations are private bodies.“That is why a private sponsor was brought in. AFA had also conveyed its preference for such an arrangement,” he said.Janeesh said the government’s larger goal was not simply to bring Messi to Kerala but to create “many Messis” by developing football talent in the state.

Zhang Anda shocked world number three Zhao Xintong with a thrilling 6-5 victory by potting a respotted black ball in round one of the China Open.

Zhang, who was down 3-0 in frames, fought back to eventually lead 5-4.

However, last year’s world champion Zhao forced a deciding frame that ended in dramatic fashion.

“Today was just my day,” Zhang said. “I hope that I can go far [in this tournament], I don’t want them [two pots of the black] again. I was too nervous.”

Zhang, ranked 19th in the world, was in control at 57-0 up, but Zhao fought back to lead with both players on the black.

The black was eventually potted by Zhang to force a respot – used as a tie-breaker when a frame ends with the scores level – with the 34-year-old prevailing.

He will now face England’s Chris Wakelin.

“I made far too many mistakes today and I probably didn’t deserve to win,” Zhao added.

“I had prepared well for coming to Shanxi this time, and I didn’t expect to lose in the first round. I played too badly and there was nothing I could do about it.”

World number five John Higgins also lost in the first round after he was defeated 6-4 by 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham.

Great Britain’s Romell Glave wins the men’s 100m gold medal and is joined by compatriot Jeremiah Azu on the podium, who finishes in second place at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

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Connections of the highly-rated stayer Tazima are anticipating a rewarding performance as the horse seeks a fourth consecutive victory at Randwick.

The gelding has been strategically rested since securing his third win on July 11, with trainer Chris Waller confirming the deliberate choice to target Saturday’s Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) at Randwick.

“He’s at the end of his ‘prep’, but he’s four weeks between runs, and we’ve had this race in mind,” Waller commented.

“He has won with authority at his last couple, and he’s pretty versatile on all tracks.

“The 1800 metre distance is just perfect so no excuses. He should be very hard to beat.”

Bookmakers concur with this assessment, listing Tazima as the firm $1.95 favourite, with OTI Racing’s Boniface ($3.30) the next in the betting, having finished second to the favourite in his last two starts.

While apprentice Siena Grima has partnered Tazima to his past three wins, James McDonald is booked for the ride this weekend, with Grima to partner stablemate Matusalem ($7) in the same race.

Matusalem’s previous outing saw him finish strongly when sixth in the Winter Stakes (1400m) last month, a run that caught Waller’s eye.

“Matusalem’s first-up run was great. He had a trial last week so he’s ready for 1800 second-up,” he said.

“Tazima is the top seed, clearly, and unfortunately that’s why Siena isn’t riding him. James (McDonald) is our top seed. She’s got a great record with the horse, and she still gets a ride in the race.”

Elliptical ($17) and Unlimited ($26) represent the remainder of Waller’s runners in the Premier’s Cup Prelude. He expects Elliptical to appreciate firmer ground, while Unlimited faces a disadvantage from an outside gate.

The race also features the return of Sam Hawkens ($13), a former stayer trained by William Haggas.

The gelding did not quite perform to expectations in three starts for John O’Shea and Tom Charlton earlier this year but looked strong winning a recent trial and is considered a significant improver in his second full Australian campaign.

Get involved with the Premier’s Cup Prelude by exploring these online bookmakers.