The New York Giants have reportedly agreed to acquire quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings.
When Jaxson Dart went down last week with a season-ending knee injury, the expectation was that the New York Giants would bring in another quarterback.
Jameis Winston is a solid backup at this stage of his career. However, it has been clear over the last two weeks that he is not the starter who can take the Giants to the playoffs.
Keeping that in mind, New York made a trade on Monday following a hard-fought Week 3 win at home over the Tennessee Titans.
According to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Giants have acquired J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.
McCarthy has been talked about as a potential trade candidate since before the start of the regular season. He lost the starting job with the Vikings to Kyler Murray. Immediately following that decision, his name began growing in the rumor mill.
What exactly are the Giants getting in McCarthy? No one is exactly sure.
Last season, the former Michigan standout played in 10 games. He completed 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while also chipping in with 181 yards and four scores on the ground.
After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, he was forced into the action last season. The Vikings allowing Sam Darnold to walk and expecting McCarthy to find immediate success with no NFL experience was a head-scratching decision to begin with.
John Harbaugh will now be tasked with helping McCarthy develop. Whether that means he'll see playing time immediately next week or not remains to be seen.
Winston has struggled since taking over for Dart. Against the Los Angeles Rams after Dart left the game, he completed just 11 of his 27 passes for 111 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. This week against the Titans, he threw for 118 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions, while completing 14 of his 22 passes.
Clearly, his production has not been getting the job done for New York. It's possible the Giants could turn to McCarthy in the very near future.
Only time will tell what the quarterback plan in New York ends up being. That being said, McCarthy is still just 23 years old. He was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a reason.
Entering Week 4, the Giants hold a 2-1 record. They will be facing the Arizona Cardinals at home. Perhaps McCarthy will see some action.
