Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is getting another chance to prove himself in the NFL, but the New York Giants apparently have something very different planned for the former first-round pick.
After naming McCarthy their starting quarterback for Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Texans, the Giants are reportedly preparing an offensive overhaul that draws inspiration from Lamar Jackson’s early years with the Baltimore Ravens.
According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, reporting for Casino Guru, New York has spent weeks preparing to implement a more option-based offense under head coach John Harbaugh and run-game coordinator Greg Roman.
For Vikings fans, that approach creates an intriguing question about how McCarthy was used under head coach Kevin O’Connell before Minnesota traded him away.
Giants Have Lamar Jackson-Inspired Plan for J.J. McCarthy
La Canfora reported that New York’s decision to start McCarthy wasn’t simply a reaction to Jameis Winston’s recent struggles.
Instead, the Giants have been preparing for a substantial change in offensive philosophy, emphasizing quarterback mobility, the running game and controlling time of possession.
One personnel executive familiar with those discussions pointed directly to Baltimore’s offense during Jackson’s rookie season.
“You know what’s coming,” the executive told La Canfora. “Watch the (Ravens) 2018 film (Jackson’s first year in the NFL when he eventually became the starter over Joe Flacco late in the season). That’s some of the stuff I think you’re going to see.”
It’s a fascinating comparison, although not necessarily a prediction that McCarthy will replicate Jackson’s production.
Jackson replaced Flacco during the 2018 season, helping Baltimore reach the playoffs before winning his first NFL MVP award in 2019 with Roman coordinating the offense.
The Giants are reportedly interested in recreating elements of that system by allowing McCarthy to become a legitimate running threat on option plays.
“They had been eyeing new starting quarterback JJ McCarthy for quite some time before acquiring him and his ability to play option football and keep the ball himself on the ground for potentially explosive runs is something that strongly appealed to Harbaugh,” La Canfora reported.
That would represent a significant change from the offense McCarthy was asked to execute in Minnesota.
Giants’ Plans for McCarthy Raise Questions About Vikings Tenure
The Vikings selected McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, envisioning him as their long-term answer at quarterback.
But injuries interrupted his development before accuracy problems and inconsistent decision-making complicated his first extended opportunity as a starter.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season following knee surgery and finished 2025 with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 10 starts.
Minnesota eventually moved on, trading him to the Giants on September 28 for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.
Now, New York is emphasizing a different aspect of his skill set.
Rather than relying primarily on McCarthy to operate a traditional passing attack, the Giants reportedly want to exploit his athleticism in a system that forces defenses to account for the quarterback as a runner.
That doesn’t mean O’Connell was wrong to develop McCarthy as a passer. Nor does a change in scheme automatically solve the accuracy and decision-making problems that followed him out of Minnesota.
But New York’s approach offers a meaningful contrast to the Vikings’ original vision for their former first-round pick.
McCarthy’s connection to the Harbaugh family adds another layer. He won a national championship at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, the brother of Giants head coach John Harbaugh.
The Giants are now betting that their coaching staff can build a productive offense around the traits that made McCarthy an attractive prospect in the first place.
J.J. McCarthy Gets Extended Opportunity With Giants
McCarthy already made a compelling case for additional playing time during New York’s 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints on October 18.
Replacing Winston in the fourth quarter, McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception while helping the Giants score 17 unanswered points.
Three days later, Harbaugh confirmed McCarthy would start against Houston and indicated that the move was intended to last beyond a single game.
“That’s the plan going forward,” Harbaugh said Wednesday, October 21, according to NBC Sports.
La Canfora’s reporting suggests the change could also affect New York’s running back rotation.
The Giants reportedly hope their option packages will create additional opportunities for Cam Skattebo, while personnel executives believe the team could seek another running back before the trade deadline.
McCarthy’s immediate challenge will be mastering the decisions that make an option offense work, particularly identifying when to hand off and when to keep the football.
For Minnesota, the consequences extend beyond Sunday’s game.
The Vikings traded McCarthy for a fifth-round selection just two years after investing a top-10 pick in him. If the Giants successfully transform their offense around his mobility, that decision will face renewed scrutiny.
New York isn’t asking McCarthy to become Lamar Jackson. But it appears prepared to borrow from the offense that helped make Jackson a star.
Former Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Gets Lamar Jackson Comparison Amid Giants Shakeup