Michigan Professional Athletes

The McCarthy Crisis in Minnesota

J.J. McCarthy's sophomore NFL campaign has become a slow-motion disaster, and the endgame is approaching fast.

The former Michigan star and 2024 No. 10 overall pick lost the Vikings' starting quarterback competition to Kyler Murray — and things have only gotten messier since. McCarthy exited Minnesota's preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens earlier than expected after taking a big hit, raising fresh injury concerns on top of an already-troubled ankle that kept him out of a Wednesday practice session. He downplayed the health worries publicly, but the Vikings were cautious enough to hold him out, with the team hoping he'd be available for the preseason finale against the Broncos.

The injury is almost a footnote compared to his falling stock. One prominent NFL insider floated the possibility of McCarthy being demoted all the way to QB3 behind Carson Wentz. Trade buzz has grown loud enough that multiple outlets are openly publishing proposals urging Minnesota to move him for whatever it can get rather than simply cutting him. FanSided ran projections suggesting his roster spot is no longer a lock — a stunning fall for a player who was supposed to be the franchise's future just 16 months ago.

According to CBS Sports, a divorce between McCarthy and the Vikings looks increasingly inevitable. Yahoo Sports noted that roster cut day looms as a genuine reckoning for the former Wolverine. Whether he ends up traded, released, or clinging to a backup role, McCarthy's next few days could define the rest of his NFL career.

Hutchinson Locked In, Lions Defense Draws Attention

On the other side of the ledger, Aidan Hutchinson heads into the regular season as the unquestioned centerpiece of the Detroit Lions' defense. The Sporting News described the former Michigan edge rusher as the "crowned jewel" of Detroit's unit — high praise entering a season with legitimate Super Bowl expectations in the Motor City. The Lions are also reportedly searching for the right complement to pair alongside Hutchinson in their defensive front, signaling that the organization is building around him for the long haul.

Wilson Locks Up a Roster Spot in Pittsburgh

Roman Wilson's path to a guaranteed Steelers roster spot appears to have been quietly confirmed. Pittsburgh sat Wilson out of the preseason finale without an injury designation — a classic signal that a team is protecting a player it has already decided to keep. Offensive coordinator comments reinforced the message. Entering Year 3, the Michigan wideout appears to have secured his place on the 53-man roster.

Barrett Reunites with Minter in Baltimore

Linebacker Michael Barrett landed with the Ravens, reuniting with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter — the same coach who oversaw Barrett's development at Michigan. The familiarity factor could give Barrett a meaningful edge in his bid to stick on Baltimore's roster heading into the regular season.

Around the League

Two Wolverines received less welcome news near the roster deadline. The Jets waived defensive tackle Mazi Smith, ending his time in New York. Running back Hassan Haskins was released by the Patriots after New England acquired Corey Kiner via trade, squeezing him off the depth chart.

The next 72 hours will answer the biggest question hanging over Michigan's NFL contingent: what happens to McCarthy. The rest of the Wolverine world looks comparatively stable — but in Minnesota, nothing is.

Michigan's NFL alumni had a week to forget. From a quarterback under trade fire to a kicker out of a job and a defensive tackle sidelined before the season begins, the Wolverines' pro contingent gave Ann Arbor fans little to cheer about between Aug. 16–22.

J.J. McCarthy: Misfires, Trade Rumors, and a QB1 Demotion

The biggest story in Michigan's NFL world isn't going away. J.J. McCarthy went 5-of-10 for 81 yards in the Vikings' 13–3 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens — four drives, zero scoring plays — and the box score was almost secondary to the broader context surrounding him.

Minnesota has already handed the QB1 designation to Kyler Murray, leaving McCarthy's future in Minnesota genuinely murky. Trade speculation is circulating, with the Chargers, Browns, and Falcons floated as potential suitors, though The Sporting News puts the odds of an actual deal at just 30% — partly because the Vikings' leverage is limited and partly because McCarthy's trade value may have dipped after the preseason showing.

McCarthy himself took accountability after the Ravens loss, telling reporters that the end zone misses "are throws I have to make." Head coach Kevin O'Connell has weighed in on McCarthy's situation, though his comments stopped short of a definitive endorsement. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz — yes, that Carson Wentz — turned enough heads in preseason action to complicate the depth chart further.

Some outlets are already framing a trade as a potential career reset, arguing a change of scenery could be the best outcome for the 2024 first-round pick. Whether that framing is generous analysis or a quiet acknowledgment that Minnesota is moving on remains to be seen.

Jake Moody: Cut in Washington

The week's cleanest bad news came Monday: the Commanders released kicker Jake Moody, ending his bid to claim Washington's kicking job. Washington will instead roll with undrafted rookie Drew Stevens. Moody, the former Golden Gopher-beater from the 2021 Big Ten Championship, had been competing for the roster spot after signing with Washington in the offseason. He's now a free agent kicker looking for his next opportunity.

Kenneth Grant: Injury Sidelines Miami's Big Man

Kenneth Grant, Miami's first-round defensive tackle from the 2025 draft class, will miss time after suffering an injury that kept him off the practice field this week. The Dolphins haven't specified a timeline. Grant, one of Michigan's most celebrated recent draft picks, now faces a race to get healthy before the regular season opener. For a Dolphins defense counting on him up front, the timing is far from ideal.

One Bright Spot: Josaiah Stewart in L.A.

Not every Michigan alum had a rough go of it. Josaiah Stewart, the edge rusher now with the Los Angeles Rams, drew "Pro Bowler" comparisons from observers after a strong showing in Rams-Saints joint practice. It's a lone encouraging headline from an otherwise sobering week for Wolverines in the league.

The quarterback competition in Minnesota is settled — and J.J. McCarthy lost.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell officially named Kyler Murray the Week 1 starter ahead of the team's preseason opener against the Giants, ending whatever hope remained that the 2024 first-round pick could hold off the veteran free-agent acquisition. Murray will be under center when Minnesota hosts Green Bay on Sept. 13. McCarthy, for now, watches from behind him.

That's the polite version. The murkier reality is that McCarthy's situation in Minnesota looks increasingly untenable.

The QB1 Decision — and the Fallout

O'Connell made the call before a single preseason snap, signaling how definitive the front office view was. Murray started Saturday's exhibition against New York; McCarthy did not get the nod. When asked about his demotion, the former Michigan standout kept his composure publicly, telling reporters the outcome was "out of my control" while insisting he has no desire to leave the organization. "I'm a Viking," McCarthy said, per The Sporting News.

His coach wasn't nearly as warm. Reports surfaced this week that McCarthy's relationship with O'Connell has deteriorated significantly — described in one report as "reportedly horrible" — which casts a long shadow over any scenario in which he sticks around as a functioning backup. A miserable locker room dynamic rarely stays quiet, and in this case it's already made headlines.

A Trade Market That Won't Quit

McCarthy's public loyalty to the franchise hasn't cooled outside interest. Several quarterback-needy teams are actively being linked to the former Wolverine, and the conversation has moved well past idle speculation.

The Cleveland Browns surface as one of the most frequently cited fits — they've been connected to McCarthy in multiple reports and have the roster need and draft capital to make a deal work. The New York Jets are also in the picture, with analysts outlining specific trade packages New York could offer. The Carolina Panthers — who have Ryan Hayes also on the roster, notably another Michigan alum — and the Detroit Lions round out the field of suitors.

The Lions angle carries an obvious twist: McCarthy would be moving within the NFC North, meaning twice a year he'd line up against the team that demoted him. FanSided noted the divisional premium Detroit would have to pay to pull off such a deal — but also why the Lions could genuinely use the insurance behind Jared Goff.

One proposal circulating in trade discussions would send McCarthy to the Los Angeles Chargers to reunite him with Jim Harbaugh, his college coach at Michigan — a storyline that has generated significant chatter given their shared history.

What Comes Next

CBS Sports noted that even if Murray is the right call for 2026, Minnesota may find itself back in the quarterback market as soon as 2027 — which makes trading McCarthy now, for something of value, the rational front-office play. Sitting on a disgruntled former first-rounder with a fractured coach relationship isn't a recipe for roster harmony.

McCarthy was one of the most decorated quarterbacks in Michigan history, a national champion, and a top-10 pick less than two years ago. He's 23 years old. Wherever he lands, this isn't an epitaph — but the Vikings chapter looks like it's being written toward its final pages.

The McCarthy Problem in Minnesota

J.J. McCarthy's grip on the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback job is slipping — and the people in and around the building aren't being quiet about it.

Reports out of Vikings training camp during the week of Aug. 2 painted a grim picture for the former Michigan star. Kyler Murray, brought in ostensibly as competition, has turned the battle into something far less equal. In what's being described as a pivotal practice, Murray connected repeatedly with Justin Jefferson while running with the first-team offense, outshining McCarthy in the most visible way possible. According to The Sporting News, it may have represented a major turn in the competition.

The optics off the field aren't much better. An NFL coach — speaking publicly, not anonymously — offered a damning assessment of where McCarthy stands in his development: "Football looks hard for him." For a player entering his second NFL season, that's not a warning so much as an alarm. Bleacher Report reported that through his first two NFL seasons, McCarthy has been "nothing short of disappointing" by the league's own internal evaluations.

Bleacher Report also reported that new NFL rumors now point clearly to Murray as the current leader of the Vikings' starting quarterback battle — a remarkable shift for a franchise that drafted McCarthy in the first round to be its long-term answer.

The situation is straightforward and uncomfortable: McCarthy isn't just being pushed, he's being exposed. Whether the Vikings give him more runway or accelerate the timeline toward Murray as their Week 1 starter will define the franchise's direction heading into 2026.

Other Michigan Alumni Worth Watching

The McCarthy drama dominated the week, but several other Wolverines made noise across the league.

Aidan Hutchinson (Lions, DE) received glowing reviews from Detroit's coaching staff, with The Sporting News reporting the former Heisman finalist is being praised for a "nasty" ability on the field — the kind of language that signals a player entering his prime and playing with a chip. Hutchinson has long been the standard-bearer for Michigan's NFL pipeline, and this camp appears to be no different.

Mike Sainristil (Commanders, CB) featured prominently in Washington's training camp coverage, with Yahoo Sports examining whether he and Quan Martin are on track for bounce-back seasons. Sainristil has drawn direct attention from head coach Dan Quinn during camp sessions — a positive sign for a player the Commanders are counting on to anchor their secondary.

Blake Corum (Rams, RB) is also turning heads at camp. A Yahoo Sports Rams roundup flagged Corum as one of the players "showing up" during early August practices — a strong indicator that the former Michigan rushing star is pushing for a meaningful role in Los Angeles's backfield this season.

Devin Bush (Bears, LB) earned a notable mention in a Yahoo Sports feature on Chicago's under-the-radar contributors heading into 2026, listed among the team's "hidden gems" as the Bears look to make a deep playoff run.