It’s been over a week since the Minnesota Vikings decided to cut ties with J.J. McCarthy and sent their former first-round pick to the New York Giants for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
McCarthy will be looking to use this change of scenery as a fresh start to get his NFL career on track and one in which he can be a starting QB, which he wasn’t going to be in Minnesota, given that he was pushed down to QB3.
Now, the question will be, when can McCarthy see the field if starting QB Jameis Winston’s play takes a dip, which has been a rollercoaster since taking over for the injured Jaxson Dart. Former Vikings wideout Cris Carter shared when McCarthy could be a serious threat for Winston’s job.
“As soon as [McCarthy] learns the playbook, because his skill set is more matched up to Jaxson Dart’s than Jameis’,” Carter said on the Oct. 5 edition of “The Fully Loaded Podcast.” “Jameis’ skill set, I’m talking about thrower, runner, they match up well. Jaxson Dart is a dual threat. J.J. McCarthy is a dual threat.
“They match up better running the same thing than Jameis, who is a straight drop-back. I will throw this into a defensive meeting. Now, Jameis is a talented thrower, but not as talented as he thinks he is.”
J.J. McCarthy May Be a Better Fit for Giants Offense Than Vikings
Moreover, Carter believes the Giants’ offense is a better fit for McCarthy than he had to run during his time with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“If [John] Harbaugh can slow the game down, play to his defense, run the ball, play-action, quarterback, make a few plays with his legs, they might surprisingly win nine games,” Carter added. “They’re 3-1. They only have to win six more, bro.. [McCarthy is] better in that system than he is in the Vikings system.
“We got Justin Jefferson, all them receivers, [T.J.] Hockenson, tight end. They got two, and these guys have had 1,500-yard seasons, 1,000-yard seasons. Now, we know [Malik] Nabers is a little nicked up, No. 1 [wide receiver], but we can play-action, get him the ball deep down the field. This fits his skill set better than, especially, the last one he was in with the Vikings.
Giants Handed Strong J.J. McCarthy Verdict
Meanwhile, WFAN’s Gordon Damer doesn’t see McCarthy having a success story in New York and shared a prediction of how this will all play out for the former Vikings QB.
“I realize he’s still a young player,” Damer said in an Oct. 2 video. “He’s still got untapped potential. You’d like to believe if J.J. McCarthy turns out to be anything more than just a warm body, I will be very, very surprised, and I’m surprised that this is the direction the Giants went because, best-case scenario, J.J. McCarthy is a project.
“He is not a sure thing in anything, and the fact that the Minnesota Vikings were so willing to do anything to get rid of him for even a fifth-round pick – you have to factor that into the evaluation of the player.”
Cris Carter Has Clear Giants Outlook for Ex-Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy