Well, this article aged like milk...
After an awesome Week One performance against the Cowboys, Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury only seven plays into Week Two. The Rams dismantled the Giants 28-6, and Jameis Winston looked horrendous. He threw for only 111 yards on 40.7% completion and threw an interception. His performance improved in week three against the Titans, but it became clear the Giants would need more help at QB. The Giants won 12-7 but couldn’t reach the end zone, relying on their defense and special teams to sneak by Tennessee.
The Giants addressed the QB problem early Monday, trading a 2027 fifth-round pick to Minnesota for JJ McCarthy. McCarthy has struggled early in his career and hasn’t been able to keep the starting role in Minnesota. But a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs. With the way Jameis Winston has been playing, McCarthy could be starting sooner rather than later. The JJ McCarthy acquisition doesn’t solve the Giants QB problem. But it adds a potential high-upside option to the New York QB room at a low price.
McCarthy was drafted 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan. A lot of hype surrounded him heading into the draft. He had just won the National Championship with Jim Harbaugh after a 15-0 season, and Minnesota apparently believed he could replicate that success in the NFL. He missed his rookie season after surgery for a torn meniscus, and when he finally debuted, he struggled. Despite showing flashes of his college self, he was far too inconsistent to be a starting QB. He made an offense with Justin Jefferson stagnant. That’s hard to do.
In his 10 career games, McCarthy has thrown 10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and posted a 57.6% completion percentage. Where he lacked as a passer, he tried to make up for it on the ground. He has four career rushing touchdowns and 181 rushing yards. That is ideal for the Giants offense, which leaned on Dart’s rushing attack last season (he had nine rushing touchdowns in 12 starts). Although McCarthy’s tenure in Minnesota was short-lived, he has loads of potential with the Giants.
At only 23, it’s hard to say how his career will pan out. Quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Geno Smith are excellent examples of players who didn’t pan out until much later in their careers. And McCarthy has had moments of potential. In his last four starts, he threw seven total touchdowns, only two interceptions, and a 64% completion percentage. He clearly has the tools to be a better player; he just has a long way to go. If any coach can get the best out of him, it’s John Harbaugh.
The expectations for McCarthy are much lower than they were in the past. He was picked up with a fifth-round pick. That sets up McCarthy in a low-pressure situation – even with the intensity of New York media. McCarthy won’t be the day-one starter for New York, who will keep playing Winston until it’s clear there will be no improvement (or he gradually improves… fingers crossed).
McCarthy’s best stretch came at Michigan under John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim. John Harbaugh has already shown faith in McCarthy’s talent, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his brother helped plant the seeds for this trade.
“Really glad, really happy, very excited to add JJ McCarthy,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’s a strong young quarterback, has some experience in the National Football League. Obviously was a very high draft pick, very talented player and is gonna make us a stronger football team.”
The Giants will likely add a third QB alongside Winston and McCarthy, especially now that Jake Haener has been moved down to the practice squad. But until then, McCarthy and Winston will have to battle it out. Winston’s the starter for the foreseeable future, but McCarthy could take it at any point.
The Giants are a run-heavy team, and JJ has shown the explosiveness to perform run-designed QB plays. McCarthy still has a long way to go, but he’s in a great position to prove himself. The Giants aren’t expected to be great this season, but with the skill set McCarthy (might) bring, he’d be an awesome fit. Besides, based on how he’s played so far in his career, it can’t get much worse.
Of course, several things could go wrong. A young QB might not send a great message to Jaxson Dart. He is on a very similar development timeline to JJ. Fortunately, Dart is already leagues ahead of McCarthy and has no shortage of confidence. I’m sure this’ll be an extra motivator if anything.
There have also been questions about McCarthy’s locker room presence being toxic at times. But if he doesn’t learn how to get along with his teammates now, he’ll never get another chance. John Harbaugh is a tough coach and already seems to have a solid relationship with McCarthy. As long as the New York media doesn’t get under JJ’s skin, he should be okay in the chemistry department. Also, Jameis Winston is one of the nicest guys in the NFL. He’ll be key in stopping any potential locker-room beef. On that note, is McCarthy getting number nine from Likely?? It’s his alter ego, after all.
The Giants have had the worst luck in the NFL this season. After Week one gave fans a taste of a fully healthy Harbaugh roster, the football Gods took away any hope. Dart wasn’t the only player to get a season-ending injury. Brian Burns tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of Week 3, and Andrew Thomas has dealt with injuries yet again.
Despite these setbacks, the Giants have a positive 2-1 record and two winnable games coming up against the Cardinals and Commanders. Many thought the Giants would go for a more stable veteran quarterback, not a project like McCarthy. Winston was supposed to be the stable veteran, but he’s looked average at best through two games. If he does bad enough to get benched for McCarthy, at least McCarthy has upside at only 23 years old (right)? If McCarthy does well, he could be flipped to another team for picks once Dart returns.
Behind the Skattebo running attack and Nabers’s pure talent, the offense could stay afloat, even with QB being a question mark. Arvell Reese and Abdul Carter have been holding it down on the defensive line, which is now mandatory with Burns out. Jevon Holland has also kept the secondary afloat, with an interception in each game so far.
Somehow, the Giants still have playoff potential. The Cowboys have been blowing games in typical Dallas fashion, and the Commanders’ future looks bleak with Daniels injured for the next few weeks. The Eagles are 2-1, tied up with New York, but just blew an easy game against the Bears’ third-string QB, Case Keenum. Based on Keenum’s performance, the Giants should have considered him as another QB. The way he played, he would be the starter for NY instantly.
The Giants can still have a positive season. No one expects a playoff push, but staying competitive in games will make all the difference. JJ McCarthy definitely is a big question mark, and fans have every right to be concerned. There were more stable veteran options through a signing or trade – Tyler Huntley, Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Flacco, and more. But with the Giants’ luck this season, they might as well roll the dice.
In the worst-case scenario, they lost a fifth-round pick. Besides, Harbaugh didn’t rule out Dart for the postseason. So, for the foreseeable future, winning the division should be priority number one. Getting that done with a backup QB would do wonders for the chemistry headed into next season.
The Giants’ savior this season will either be Jameis Winston or JJ “Nine” McCarthy… that’s a tough pill to swallow. All Giants fans can do is hope for the best.
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