The Giants have not said whether J.J. McCarthy will be Jameis Winston’s backup for this Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, but there’s a good chance that the 2024 first-round pick will get a chance to play quarterback for the team at some point in the near future.
McCarthy was acquired in a trade with the Vikings earlier this week as the Giants work out a plan to move forward without Jaxson Dart for the rest of the season. McCarthy said on Friday that there are “a multitude of things you could think of” to explain why his time in Minnesota did not go as planned, but that the only thing that’s important now is making the most of his current situation.
“When I got the call here, it was a shock. I didn’t anticipate it, but at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity,” McCarthy said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “It’s an opportunity to take advantage of. And I love these guys already and I can’t wait to do it for them.”
It remains to be seen whether McCarthy’s results will be markedly different than his time with the Vikings, but things had clearly soured in Minnesota and his best chance to find a long-term role as a starter in the NFL was going to come with a different team. The Giants may not be that team once Dart is able to play again, but a good showing will open a door for McCarthy somewhere in 2027 and beyond.