Whatever a person might think about the quarterbacking of former Minnesota Vikings‘ No. 10 overall pick JJ McCarthy, it is fair to say that the team’s decision to bail on him when it did, and for the price it did, is a bit of a head-scratcher in retrospect.
Forget that McCarthy just completed 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards and zero turnovers against a highly skilled Houston Texans defense in Week 7, winning his first start with the New York Giants. Because even without that performance, Minnesota bailed on McCarthy in what instantly became a historic punt on a recent top-10 pick — and a quarterback, no less — given the circumstances.
McCarthy is just 23 years old. He still had nearly two full seasons on his rookie contract, as well as a team option for a fifth year in 2028. He was injury prone, yes, but had started just 10 games in his NFL career before Minnesota dumped him to New York for a paltry fifth-round pick. And a couple of those contests involved comeback road wins inside the NFC North Division against the likes of the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
And compounding all of these factors is the reality that Minnesota has no longterm answer under center. The verdict is more or less in on Kyler Murray at this point in the season, and the jury of Vikings fans and media members have found him more than a little bit wanting.
And even when he remained something of a relative unknown in Minnesota, Murray was still under contract for just one year and was always going to be a tough player to bring back regardless of if he played well or poorly.
Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio Called Giants-Vikings Trade of JJ McCarthy ‘Steal’ for New York
As such, it isn’t hard to see why Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio insulted the Vikings brass in backhanded fashion by complimenting the Giants for how they pulled off a “steal” of McCarthy in late September.
“They’ve got a really good offense,” Fangio said during a media session on Tuesday, November 3, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “They have got it going right now. They’ve got good wideouts, good tight ends, two good backs. The quarterback has come in, in a short period of time and really done a nice job. For them to get him for a sixth-round pick is a steal.”
Fangio misspoke about the trade asset the Giants gave up, as it was a fifth-round pick in 2027 and not a sixth-rounder. However, as Florio noted, it’s still a steal — especially after the way McCarthy played in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints before his performance against the Texans on the road the following week.
JJ McCarthy, Giants Could Meet Vikings in NFC Playoffs, as Both Teams Currently Lead Their Divisions
New York is coming off a bye in Week 8, which should have McCarthy rested, more familiar with the offense and specifically prepared for the Eagles, who the Giants will visit in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 8.
As of early Wednesday morning, New York was a 3.5-point road favorite to win the contest, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Giants (4-2-1) currently lead the NFC East Division, with the Dallas Cowboys (3-5) in second place. New York does not play Minnesota during the regular season this year, though the Giants are well positioned to win their division and host a playoff game in Round 1.
As such, a postseason matchup could be on the horizon between McCarthy and his old teammates in Minnesota.
Vikings Under Fire After Giants Robbed Team in JJ McCarthy Trade