Barstool Sports owner and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy went to bat for former Minnesota Vikings and current New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Portnoy spoke out about McCarthy’s time at the Vikings, as the latter made his debut with the Giants.
McCarthy stepped in for Jameis Winston in the Giants’ game against the New Orleans Saints. The quarterback played well. He went 11-of-21 on the afternoon, throwing for 243 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. A 49-yard pass was his longest of the afternoon. McCarthy certainly showed prowess under center, as the giants of the stabilizer quarterback position.
Now, Portnoy is sticking up for the quarterback, as he noted in a recent podcast.
“I never thought he got a fair shake in Minnesota. He never got a fair shake. He got hurt right away and then never got back in the flow. I’ve always been a JJ fan. I saw what he did every single game at Michigan. I said when the Giants got him, they got a winner.”
Injuries Hampered Former Vikings QB
The injuries loomed large for McCarthy in the 2025 season. He suffered a right hand fracture in Week 16. The injury didn’t land him on injured reserve, but it did keep him out of the next game,
There were other injuries last year as well. He suffered a concussion in November. The concussion landed him in the protocol after delayed symptoms following the Vikings game against the Green Bay Packers. It kept him out for one week. September saw him suffer a grade 3 top-ankle sprain in the third quarter of the week to contest against the Atlanta Falcons. He was able to finish the game, but it forced him to miss the next five contests, per Sports Injury Central.
J.J McCarthy Was High-Level Player At Michigan
Portnoy is certainly right in the sense that McCarthy was a winner at Michigan. He won the national championship in 2023, and won the Big Ten championship three consecutive times. He was also the Rose Bowl offensive MVP in 2024. He finished with the highest winning percentage in modern FBS history with a 27-1 record. In addition, he was also able to set the program’s single-season completion percentage record at 74.2% in 2023. This put him second in the entire country.
Now, McCarthy will get another chance to prove his worth at the quarterback position. It is certainly fair to say that McCarthy may have been able to succeed if given more opportunities. However, based on McCarthy’s injuries and inconsistent play, bringing in Kyler Murray was certainly not the worst idea. Although Murray hasn’t exactly lit the proverbial world on fire, the Vikings are undefeated. They currently sit in a decent spot in the NFC and are tops in the NFC North.
In the meantime, J.J. McCarthy gets a fresh start in New York and has the opportunity to make some noise for the Giants. It was a mutual parting of ways that benefited both sides. It will certainly be interesting to see how McCarthy develops from here on out, as he tries to resurrect his career with a Giants team looking to find an offensive identity for the future.
Vikings Face Criticism Over J.J. McCarthy From Unexpected Voice