{
  "id": 3196293,
  "title": "‘Picked the Wrong Guy,’ ‘It’s Over’ — J.J. McCarthy Won’t Even Be a Backup QB For Vikings, Claims Former NFL Scout",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/picked-the-wrong-guy-its-over-j-j-mccarthy-wont-even-be-a-backup-qb",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-25T05:24:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/picked-wrong-guy-over-j-052422652.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Minnesota Vikings made a swift decision to select Kyler Murray over J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback during the preseason game of their training camp. To date, there is a possibility that the Vikings may revert to their former first-round pick; however, one NFL scout, John Middlekauff, asserts that J.J. McCarthy’s time in Minnesota is coming to an end. Middlekauff's assessment can be heard on \"The Colin Cowherd Podcast,\" where he stated that the Vikings \"just picked the wrong guy\" and it's highly unlikely that he will be the backup quarterback. Middlekauff went on to say that the Vikings have a better alternative in Carson Wentz, who has more experience compared to McCarthy, who has only started 10 games throughout his career. Middlekauff believes that the Vikings will choose the best option for the team when it comes to the backup QB, which might mean going with Carson Wentz. The Vikings have paid McCarthy through the 2027 season, which gives him the advantage of being a developmental backup for the team in the upcoming year. However, barring any injury or trade offers, it is highly probable that McCarthy's career with the Vikings will not last this season.",
  "summary": "The Minnesota Vikings were the first team to end their starting quarterback competition in training camp this year. It took just one preseason game for head coach Kevin O’Connell to pick Kyler Murray over J.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}