While the excitement of trading for a 1st-round pick still lingers, New York Giants fans should temper expectations for new quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
And by temper, we mean lower—anyone who watched McCarthy play in meaningful games last year for the Minnesota Vikings knows it could be a rough ride.
“J.J. McCarthy spent the week as the scout team quarterback,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote on his official X account on Friday. “He’s learning the Giants offense, which John Harbaugh said will be a ‘challenge.’ It will take some time for McCarthy to get up to speed. We’ll likely hear from him later today to see how he’s progressing.”
When someone says something might “take some time” for McCarthy, that kind of ends up applying more to the metaphysical, Rust Cohle version of time — an undefined thing that may never happen or could be happening right now.
With McCarthy, you just never know, and it’s a long shot he ever ends up being an upgrade on current backup Jameis Winston after starter and 2025 1st-round pick Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.
Bizarre Story Emerges About McCarthy With Vikings
After McCarthy was traded to the Giants on September 28, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft got his fair share of “Now They Tell Us” stories emerging from his time with the Vikings — most notably an ether rag from The Athletic’s Alec Lewis that made McCarthy look like something of a meathead.
One particular part of the story seemed to underscore McCarthy’s immaturity — how his bizarre insistence on claiming his “Nine” alter ego for game days and his refusal to follow his coach’s instructions not to do the popular “Griddy” dance if he scored a touchdown.
“McCarthy’s comments regarding his “Nine” alter ego — a reference to his jersey number — earned several internal eye-rolls,” Lewis wrote on September 30. “He similarly baffled members of the organization when he told reporters that he bucked his coaches’ advice by dancing the “Griddy” before he reached the end zone against the Cowboys in Week 15. These bouts of youth and defiance, evident both in front of the cameras and away from them inside the TCO Performance Center, were troubling for Vikings executives and coaches.”
McCarthy Part of Record-Setting 1st Round
McCarthy was 1 of the 6 quarterbacks taken in the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft — matching the record number of quarterbacks taken in the 1st round of the 1983 NFL Draft.
The Vikings used the No. 10 overall pick on McCarthy after he led Michigan to an unbeaten season and the College Football Playoff National Championship, playing for former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh — the younger brother of current Giants head coach John Harbaugh.
After tearing his meniscus in the 2024 preseason, McCarthy became the 1st time a 1st-round quarterback ever missed his entire rookie season due to injury.
In 10 starts for the Vikings in 2025, McCarthy went 6-4 but inspired such little confidence that Minnesota went out and signed former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray after he was discarded by the Arizona Cardinals.
“With 10 starts under his belt and still only 23 years old, JJ McCarthy is an intriguing option for the Giants,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on September 28. “Some immediate help and some upside, as well.”
Giants Give 1st Practice Update on New QB J.J. McCarthy