The Minnesota Vikings‘ decision to trade J.J. McCarthy is drawing renewed scrutiny after a strong two-game stretch from the young quarterback.
Questions about Minnesota’s decision to trade McCarthy have resurfaced after the New York Giants defeated the Houston Texans in Week 7. McCarthy joined New York in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick and has shown encouraging progress with his new team after his first start.
As McCarthy builds his career in New York, the Vikings may face growing questions about whether they gave up on their former first-round selection too early.
McCarthy has put together solid numbers in his first three appearances for New York, earning a 95.2 passer rating while throwing for 495 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, per StatMuse. Continued improvement could help the Giants establish themselves as contenders in the NFC East.
Amid McCarthy’s recent form and success with New York, former Giants QB Eli Manning is loving what he’s seeing from the newcomer.
“The way he’s looked the last two games, and in the fourth quarter of the game before, he gets in there [and] in that situation, he has nothing to lose, so he gets in there and starts slinging it [and] he’s playing confidently,” Manning told Colin Cowherd in an Oct. 29 video from The Volume.
“I think it was so helpful to get him those reps and get him in at the end of that game. When you’re running your two-minute drill, these are probably the plays you’ve run the most.”
J.J. McCarthy Has Benefited From Vikings Trading Him
Moreover, Manning shared other traits that he’s seeing from McCarthy since arriving in New York that might have been triggered by the change of scenery after the Vikings traded him to the Giants.
“I think it got him into a great rhythm, and now he’s playing confidently and freely,” Manning added. “He can still run and create plays that way. Sometimes, for a young quarterback, a change of scenery and a change of offense can make a difference. I think there’s reason to be excited. Giants fans are obviously very excited watching him play.”
Micah Parsons on J.J. McCarthy’s Success So Far With Giants
Meanwhile, one current player who is enjoying seeing McCarthy’s success in New York is Green Bay Packers‘ Micah Parsons.
“Football is about consistency,” Parsons said in an Oct. 27 video from Bleacher Report. “Did he show why he was a first-round pick in that game? I’m going to say yes. He joined a system that fits him well. Run, play action, live and die by it. Twenty-eight passes. Now, how many of them were true dropbacks? Not a ton. It was a lot of back-to-back defensive action.
“Every quarterback can’t live in shotgun. What I appreciate about his short run there is that he was consistent. He didn’t cause a lot of problems. He didn’t turn the ball over, which is crucial, and he let his defense win the game. Then his running backs did what they were supposed to do.”
It will be interesting to see if McCarthy can continue this form against a Philadelphia Eagles team that looks to be waving the white flag on the season with their 2-5 record.
Eli Manning Gets Blunt on J.J. McCarthy’s Giants Form After Vikings Trade