Why JJ McCarthy And John Harbaugh Need Each Other As Giants Gamble On A Short-Term Quarterback Reset
JJ McCarthy gets a fresh NFL opportunity with the New York Giants after losing his Vikings starting job, but Jameis Winston remains the starter as John Harbaugh weighs a low-risk quarterback reset.
The New York Giants gave up a 2027 fifth-round pick on Monday to bring in quarterback JJ McCarthy from the Vikings. The move came a day after a 12-7 win over the Titans, and after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. Jameis Winston has started since, and John Harbaugh says he still will. McCarthy is a former No. 10 overall pick who lost his job in Minnesota. Harbaugh is a first-year Giants coach who needs a workable plan. Each side gets something out of it, and neither has to commit much.
Why do JJ McCarthy and John Harbaugh need each other?
Dart's season-ending injury in Week 2 left New York without its planned starter, and Winston brings a different skill set. Harbaugh has called him a big, strong passer, and the scheme built this spring and summer was not designed to show that off. McCarthy fits it better. One assistant said his speed suits the zone-read and option ideas that Greg Roman likes to use, and an AFC assistant noted the current system looks similar to what McCarthy ran at Michigan. "He makes plays with his feet," Harbaugh said.
McCarthy needs this as much as they do. He is 23, was the No. 10 pick in 2024, and won a national title at Michigan while going 27-1 as the starter under Jim Harbaugh, John's younger brother. Harbaugh played down that link. He said Joe Schoen and the team's scouts brought McCarthy's name forward, and that he formed his own opinion while watching Michigan. "There's just no doubt about it, he's talented," Harbaugh said, but McCarthy did not hold on to the job in Minnesota, and that is why he was available.
Can JJ McCarthy really help the Giants this season?
"Yeah, Jameis is starting," Harbaugh said on Monday, a day after Winston led New York to a 12-7 win over the Titans. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Giants view the trade as a high-upside bet: Winston starts, McCarthy learns, and the team sees where things stand later in the year.
The price is low. The Giants sent a 2027 fifth-round pick, and the Vikings save more than $4.6 million in cap space. McCarthy is under contract through 2027, so the Giants get a one-year look with an option to keep going or to trade him if he plays well. Harbaugh also has a decent record with backups such as Tyrod Taylor and Tyler Huntley. One number backs the hope: in a four-game sample, PFF had McCarthy at 16 of 28 for 346 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions on throws of 10 yards or more. If he grows in that range, the Giants gain something. If not, they lose a fifth-round pick.
The room may not be finished either. Harbaugh said the Giants could still add another quarterback.