JJ McCarthy is headed to the New York Giants.
The franchise sent an unconditional fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft to the Minnesota Vikings for McCarthy, after the summer training camp battles for the starting job (for Kyler Murray) but ultimately for Carson Wentz, the week after the franchise lost Jackson Dart to a knee injury that required surgery.
As Dart went down in the offseason, it sparked speculation that the Giants might swing for a new quarterback move instead of handing the keys to Jameis Winston for a full season. Despite New York’s 12-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, the offense isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders after Dart’s injury. And with New York losing Brian Burns for the season to his own knee injury, the Giants will need any offense they can get.
Let’s take some steps.
After Dart’s injury, we tested the quarterback trade waters on NFL Feed by asking which backup quarterbacks could be traded before the annual NFL Trade Deadline.
While many dismissed the idea of a trade, by removing a significant amount of the reserve associated with the trade, the Giants were able to swing a contract to get McCarthy ahead of the deadline. Giving up a fifth-round pick for a cost-controlled quarterback who is just 23 years old with ten NFL starts under his belt seems like solid business, even if it’s your “throw a dart” example. While McCarthy hasn’t lived up to expectations as a first-round pick, there is upside, and New York offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has a history of quarterback development during his time with Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears. Trubisky never lived up to his billing as the No. 2 quarterback taken in the 2017 NFL Draft — eight points ahead of Patrick Mahomes — and Nagy managed to get Trubisky and the Bears into the playoffs.
If the Giants were able to work the same magic when they lost their starter? Wonderful.
If not, New York gives up a fifth-round pick.
For the Vikings, this trade solves two different issues.
First, it ends the speculation over McCarthy’s future and eliminates any real chance of quarterback controversy, at least this season. When a team drafts a young quarterback in the first round, there is an expectation that the player will see the field. When you bring in a veteran like Murray.
After three weeks, the Vikings are 3-0 and atop the NFC North. While Murray hasn’t been flawless, part of Brian Flores’ class has been his defense over the past three weeks, as he has troubled Jordan Love, Caleb Williams and Baker Mayfield. Minnesota’s defense gives up 13.7 points per game – Second in the NFL – And when you add in the expected points, the Vikings are about to go off the charts.
This is a contending defense that just needs some consistency from the offense, and with the talent surrounding the quarterback position, the steady veteran McCarthy could be a better answer for 2026 than the unpredictability he’s shown in his ten NFL starts.
Another reason this is a win for Minnesota is money. By trading McCarthy, even on his rookie contract, the move would save the Vikings some money. As noted by Tom Pelissero, the Vikings will save nearly $5 million in cash and cap space by moving to quarterback:
And that’s good business for a quarterback who needs a fresh start.
This is also good for JJ McCarthy.
Things didn’t add up for him in Minnesota. There have been flashes — like a comeback win over the Chicago Bears early last season — but it hasn’t really clicked with the Vikings.
Sometimes you just need a fresh start.
He gets that by playing for John Harbaugh. He might not start right away for the Giants, he’ll probably get some time to learn Nagin’s system, but this could be a good environment to show what he can do in the NFL. With Dart on the roster, it’s unlikely that McCarthy will replace another young quarterback on the roster as the starting QB going forward, but this could be McCarthy’s best chance to land another starting job in the league.
