With Jaxson Dart sidelined, New York eyes a bold move for the mobile Vikings backup to leverage his collegiate ties and revive their stalling 2026 campaign.
Jaxson Dart's season is officially over, leaving the New York Giants with a major hole at quarterback just two weeks into the 2026 season. While Jameis Winston is set to take over as the starter, the Giants have already acknowledged that a potential trade is among the options they're considering.
One name that has quickly emerged as a potential target is Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that it could be worth a call to Minnesota regarding McCarthy, who currently sits behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the Vikings' depth chart.
McCarthy would be an especially interesting fit because there are some similarities between his game and what made Dart so intriguing for the Giants. Both quarterbacks have mobility that can create another dimension for an offense, while also possessing the arm talent to make plays down the field. Dart showed that combination immediately in Week 1, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to open a season with at least three passing touchdowns, 50 rushing yards and a 130 passer rating.
That could make McCarthy more appealing than simply finding a veteran who can keep the offense afloat. The Giants built their offense around Dart's ability to make plays with his legs and extend plays, and McCarthy would at least give them a quarterback with some overlapping traits.
There is, however, plenty of uncertainty surrounding McCarthy. As The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala noted, he has started only 10 games and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his NFL career. He also fell to third string this season after Minnesota signed Murray and brought back Wentz. Jhabvala spoke to McCarthy's connection with the Harbaughs, "McCarthy fell to third string this season after the team signed Murray to start and re-signed Wentz as his backup. McCarthy has started only 10 games and has more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). But he’s well liked in the Harbaugh family. Jim Harbaugh once lauded McCarthy as the greatest quarterback in Michigan history."
The Harbaugh connection is an interesting wrinkle, too. New York hired John Harbaugh this offseason, while McCarthy played under John's brother, Jim, at Michigan. McCarthy also has previous ties to the Giants, who heavily evaluated him before selecting Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
McCarthy remains an unproven quarterback, but with Dart unavailable for the rest of the regular season, his combination of youth, mobility and familiarity with the Harbaugh coaching tree could make him a name worth monitoring as the Giants explore their options.
