The Minnesota Vikings traded J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, giving the former first-round pick a fresh start in the Big Apple. McCarthy will step in as the backup to Jameis Winston following the season-ending injury to starting quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Despite the Giants looking to shore up depth behind Winston, whether it be for performance, as the backup hasn’t looked convincing in two appearances, or in case of injury, there’s one former player who doesn’t appear to be a fan of this trade.
Giants legend Tiki Barber shared his thoughts on the McCarthy trade, and they were negative to lukewarm at best.
“My first reaction is, ‘Ugh, I don’t love this,'” Barber said on WFAN on Sept. 28. “But when you go back, and you watch just his throws, forget the decisions, forget any of the failures, the injury history that he has. I guess maybe that’s one of the reasons why I have that reaction. He’s been injured for each of his first two years.
“Now, going on his third year, he didn’t even win the backup job. Carson Wentz took that, obviously. Kyler Murray obviously came in and beat him out as well. So his ability to win the job doesn’t bode well for what you think his future is going to be.”
Nonetheless, McCarthy is entering the biggest market in the U.S., so he will need to perform well to avoid the media storm that can come with playing poorly in New York. The former Vikings QB will have to learn the playbook as much as possible, as his opportunity could come sooner rather than later.
Tiki Barber Has One Positive About J.J. McCarthy Trade
While Barber sees more negative than positive, he did spotlight one positive that McCarthy brings to the Giants that the team doesn’t currently have with Winston under center.
“[McCarthy] does have a live arm, and I think when you look at what the Giants have lacked in these first couple of games with Jameis Winston at the helm, it feels like Jameis Winston’s arm is shot,” Barber added. “There was a throw earlier in the game [on Sept. 27] where he’s trying to hit, I think it was [Darnell] Mooney or whoever it was on an out route, and he just didn’t get it there.
“We saw it obviously against the Rams. A bunch of the balls were dirtied in front of the wide receivers and so J.J. McCarthy has a live arm. It’s a big swing is what it feels like to me. Former first-round pick, you trade him for a fifth-round pick. I don’t love it, but it’s to be seen.”
Vikings GM Believes J.J. McCarthy Can Succeed in New York
Despite the Vikings deciding it was time to cut ties with McCarthy and secure a Day 3 pick for him, general manager Nolan Teasley spoke with the media on Sept. 28 and believes that their former QB can find success in New York.
“Even within this situation specifically, sitting down and talking with him this morning, he’s a pro,” Teasley said. “[McCarthy is] a great young man. He’s a good person.
“He’s a great teammate, and I continue to believe that his story is not written in this league and that he has potential to continue to grow and develop and make a difference in the National Football League, and that’s really why I think you saw another team value him and have interest in bringing him on board.”
Tiki Barber Doesn’t Hold Back on Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Trade With Giants