The New York Giants had a bit of a revelation in the second half of their Weeek 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
That came when Giants head coach John Harbaugh pulled starting quarterback Jameis Winston with his team down 34-10 with just over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter in favor of former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy threw an interception on his first pass attempt… then went on a tear as his team still lost 34-27 and had a chance to tie on the final play of the game.
In less than one quarter of playing time, McCarhty went 11-of-21 passing for 243 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception to go with 26 rushing yards on just 2 carries.
It’s led to calls for the Giants to make a quick move and name McCarthy the starter for their Week 7 game at the Houston Texans.
“(McCarthy) should immediately be named the starting quarterback,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” on Monday morning. “There should be no intrigue. Next week, for the next game, he should be the starting quarterback.”
The loss dropped the Giants to 3-2-1 — they are still in first place in the NFC East and the only team in the division with a winning record.
Giants Turn to McCarthy for Second Straight Week
It was the second consecutive week the Giants replaced Winston with McCarthy.
The Giants brought McCarthy in for Winston in a special package during the first offensive series of the third quarter of a Week 5 tie against the Washington Commanders. McCarthy completed his first pass to wide receiver Malik Nabers, but an illegal shift negated it.
“JJ McCarthy comes in,” SNY TV’s Connor J. Hughes wrote on his official X account. “Quick pass to Nabers picks up the first down … but it’s negated because of an illegal shift. Mooney & Likely didn’t get set. Erases a good play. McCarthy‘s two passes have both been taken away because of penalties.”
Winston, McCarthy Playing After Injury to Dart
Winston and McCarthy are both only playing because starter and 2025 1st-round pick Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury in a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams — the Giants built their entire offense around Dart in the offseason.
The Giants obtained McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings on September 28. McCarthy was a first-round pick by the Vikings (No. 10 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft — one of a record-setting six quarterbacks taken in the first round.
“Trade! The Vikings are sending QB J.J. McCarthy to the Giants for a 2027 fifth-round pick,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account. “With Jaxson Dart out for the regular season, New York adds another young QB, while Minnesota gains flexibility and McCarthy gets a fresh start … By trading J.J. McCarthy now, the Vikings save over $4.6M in cash and cap space and get an unconditional fifth-round pick in the next draft that, depending how the Giants finish, could end up being a top-150 selection. Meanwhile, New York adds another former first-round pick QB.”
Giants Pressed to ‘Immediately’ Make Change at Starting QB