Giants acquire QB McCarthy from Vikings for fifth-round pick as Dart sidelined for season
The New York Giants traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to acquire quarterback JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, September 28, pending McCarthy's physical. The move comes after Giants starter Jaxson Dart underwent surgery on his left knee and will miss the rest of the regular season. Jameis Winston will start against Arizona on Sunday, September 29.
The New York Giants acquired quarterback JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick on Monday, September 28, pending McCarthy passing a physical. The trade reshapes both rosters after the Giants lost their starting QB to season-ending injury and the Vikings looked to clear a logjam at the position. , according to ESPN's reporting. Jameis Winston started the Giants' Week 3 win over Tennessee on Sunday and will start again this coming Sunday against Arizona, per Giants coach John Harbaugh's statement. McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but fell behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the Vikings' depth chart. In 10 career starts, McCarthy threw 12 interceptions against 11 touchdowns and ranked last among qualified quarterbacks last season in completion percentage (58%), passer rating (72.6), and the touchdown-to-interception ratio, according to CBS Sports' reporting. McCarthy is 23 years old and played college football at Michigan under coach Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh's brother. McCarthy won a national championship at Michigan with a 27-1 record as the starter. John Harbaugh said Monday: "[Jim] always had good things to say about JJ. I mean, I kind of watched it. I was following Michigan when Jim was coaching there. I don't follow him as much anymore, but when Jim was there that was a team I watched closely. So I've watched JJ play a lot." Harbaugh also said of McCarthy's skill set: "His skill set is ... he's a talented guy. I mean, there's just no doubt about it. He's talented. He was a top-10 pick for a reason, and there's plenty of good tape even in the NFL out there. ... He can throw it, he can run it. He can make plays." McCarthy's NFL tenure has been marked by repeated injury setbacks. A torn meniscus in his first preseason game with Minnesota required surgery and delayed his professional debut until September 2025. He has missed time with a sprained ankle, a concussion, and a broken hand. Harbaugh said Monday: "Jameis is starting. You guys asked me that [Sunday] night. He's our starting quarterback and that's how we're rolling. We'll be ready to play this next game and going forward. Excited about Jameis ... I'm looking forward to seeing where we go and as we go we'll get a chance to build around Jameis's strengths." Harbaugh also stated: "Jameis will be the starter for as long as I can see into the future. But I don't know. Nobody knows. What I do know is that we're going to be playing this game against the Cardinals on Sunday and Jameis will be our starter for sure and he's going to play a winning football game." McCarthy will be the Giants' No. 2 or 3 QB this week as he gets acclimated and learns the offense, per ESPN's reporting. The Giants' front office heavily scouted McCarthy coming out of Michigan and even considered him with the sixth pick that year. The Giants waived quarterback Jake Haener on Monday and plan to re-sign him to their practice squad after he clears waivers, according to a source told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The Giants defeated the Titans 12-7 at MetLife Stadium to improve to 2-1 this season.