Former Minnesota Vikings and current New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy talked about leaving the team, and settling into his new home in New York. He admitted that things were still processing as he gets ready for the Big Apple.
McCarthy was traded to the Giants at the beginning of this past week, in exchange for a fifth-round pick. This effectively ended his tenure in Minnesota and gives him a fresh start in New York.
McCarthy spoke about being traded from the Vikings to the Giants, indicating that he was “extremely grateful for all the time in Minnesota.” That being said, he also admitted that the trade caught him off guard a bit, per The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll.
“I didn’t anticipate it. But at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to take advantage of.”
Former Vikings QB Could Alleviate Giants Struggles
Now, McCarthy has an opportunity to be an asset for the Giants. The organization needs a quarterback following the season-ending injury to Jaxson Dart, and McCarthy can fill that role.
On top of just filling in for Dart, the Giants have struggled at the quarterback position in recent weeks. Veteran James Winston has struggled to create offense over the course of the last couple of games. He has a 55.6 passer rating and a 22.9 quarterback rating. Over the course of two games, he has only 25 completions for 229 yards, averaging only 4.67 yards per pass attempt.
Broadly, he has also struggled in other areas as well. Red zone conversions have been a problem with Winston under center. He went 3-for-14 on third downs in Week 2 and did not score a single touchdown in the red zone against the Titans in week three. This further magnified the struggles that Winston had in the Giants’ offense.
One of his more unfortunate highlights was a red zone interception against the Cardinals in the second week of the season. The team was down 14-0 and looking to get points on the board. The quarterback forced a ball to Malik Nabers that was heavily underthrown. This allowed the quarterback to come over and make the interception, thwarting the Giants’ drive and chances to put points on the board.
J.J. McCarthy Could Get Fresh Start On Giants
McCarthy could have the opportunity to reignite the Giants’ offense, as the quarterback room is in flux at the moment. That, combined with his love for the Harbaugh family, could make this a very promising move. Jim Harbaugh is the brother of former Michigan coach Jon Harbaugh. The latter knows McCarthy well, having coached him during his days at Michigan, and McCarthy and Harbaugh were able to bring success to the Michigan program.
This seems like a solid fit for McCarthy, who is just looking to get some stability at this point in his career. There is no doubt that he was able to provide solid contributions while with the Vikings. However, it was clear that both the Vikings and McCarthy needed a change of scenery. Now, the second-year quarterback is getting to play in a place that is somewhat familiar to him. What he does with this opportunity remains to be seen.
Former Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Breaks Silence on “Shock” Trade