The New York Giants have been as busy as ever in the wake of their Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. With Jaxson Dart out for the year after suffering a severe knee injury, the Giants moved to address the quarterback position by acquiring former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
For now, McCarthy is set to operate as Jameis Winston‘s backup, and with a win in the books over the weekend, it seems like Winston is set to remain the starter for the next few weeks. McCarthy’s main job right now involves learning a new playbook, but according to one NFL insider, it wouldn’t be a shock if he winds up taking the starting gig from Winston down the line.
J.J. McCarthy Predicted to Steal Starting QB Gig From Jameis Winston
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy has endured a rocky start to his career in the pros. A meniscus injury caused him to miss his entire rookie season, and then when he did eventually suit up in 2025, his play on the field left a lot to be desired. While the Vikings actually won six of his 10 starts last year, that’s more of a testament to the strength of the rest of their roster than McCarthy’s play on the field (140/243, 1,632 YDS, 11 TD, 12 INT).
New York’s problem, though, is that Winston hasn’t exactly looked good through what has been just about two full games worth of action. To this point, he has completed just 25 of his 49 pass attempts for 229 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. The weather for the team’s Week 3 action was not conducive to throwing the football, but still, there’s no hiding from the fact that Winston has struggled.
You can’t argue with wins in the NFL, though, and Winston did enough to get New York back in the win column after a rough Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. As a result, seeing him remain the starter isn’t a surprise, but if you ask NFL insider Ian Rapoport, he doesn’t think it will be long until McCarthy finds himself starting games for the Giants.
“Would not be surprised, just based on his talent, based on the way Jameis has played, if he is the starter in there at some point soon,” Rapoport said on “NFL Live.”
Who Should Be the Giants’ Starting Quarterback Moving Forward?
At the very least, Winston bought himself another start or two by beating the Titans, but if he can’t get things going in the air soon, McCarthy suddenly looms as a very viable option to start in place of him. Sure, he’s been a mess early on in his career, but he’s only a few years removed from being a top-10 pick.
Many folks feel that McCarthy is a better fit in New York’s offense than he was in Minnesota’s, so who knows, maybe he could deliver on his potential if he finds his way onto the field for the Giants. Unless Winston gets hurt or plays poorly, that won’t happen in Week 4, but just because McCarthy is the backup now doesn’t mean he will be for the rest of the year.
Insider Issues Eye-Opening J.J. McCarthy Prediction After Giants Trade