The New York Giants clearly did not like what they saw from Jameis Winston in Week 3. New York acquired QB JJ McCarthy from Minnesota after they struggled to beat Tennessee on Sunday. Now the Giants are left to sort out how to use both Winston and McCarthy for the rest of the 2026 season.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared some details about New York's plans for McCarthy after acquiring him on Monday.
“I think for the Giants, the thinking here is they're 2-1, they've had injuries, yes. It sounds like Brian Burns is gonna be lost for the season as well. But the season's not done and he's got a lot of upside,” Rapoport said on Monday, via The Pat McAfee Show. “So Jameis will start, McCarthy will learn, and then if McCarthy ends up playing and is good, then you just [figure out whatever else happens] at the end of the year. I mean, to me, this is a pretty good, high-upside option for the Giants.”
Rapoport also name dropped veteran quarterbacks like Jimmy Garoppolo and Gardner Minshew as other options the Giants considered.
It stands to reason that Winston will remain the starting quarterback, at least in Week 4. McCarthy has yet to meet all of his teammates and coaches and still needs to learn New York's offensive playbook. But McCarthy can compete for a starting job with Winston once he finally get settled in.
New York must still be hopeful that Jaxson Dart makes a full recovery after having season-ending surgery. But if something goes wrong with Dart, having McCarthy around gives the Giants some insurance.
Ultimately, the Giants are still in a good position at 2-1. But the team has already suffered a few important injuries that could cost the team later this season.
It will be exciting to see if McCarthy can revive his career with the Giants later this fall.
Next up for the Giants is a Week 4 matchup against the Cardinals. That NFC contest kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 4 from MetLife Stadium.