The New York Giants are set to acquire Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in exchange for a 2027 5th round draft pick the clubs announced on Monday.
Originally drafted 10th overall by Minnesota in 2024, the former Michigan Wolverine had fallen out of favour in the Vikings pecking order, and was the team’s 3rd string QB heading into their Week 3 matchup. With Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz under contract, there was no clear pathway towards playing time for McCarthy, paving the way for a midseason deal to New York.
For the Giants, the club was seeking additional QB depth following the season ending knee injury suffered by Jaxson Dart. In his place, Jameis Winston led the team to a Week 3 victory over the Tennessee Titans, though his on field play was its usual rollercoaster ride for fans and coaches alike.
After missing his rookie season due to injury, McCarthy appeared in 10 games for the Vikings in 2025, posting a 6-4 record, and throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 TDs and 12 INTs. He wraps up his career in Minnesota as one of only 4 first round picks in team history to appear in 10 or fewer contests for the club.
Prior to the trade, New York had brought in veteran Jake Haener as a “break in case of emergency” option, though the expectation is that he will now be waived to add McCarthy. Should he clear waivers, the team is believed to be interested in signing him to their practice squad to keep him with the organization.
Despite losing their franchise QB to a season ending knee injury, and Winston’s uneven play, New York finds themselves at 2-1 on the season and firmly in the mix atop the NFC East. Nevertheless, it’s been a house of horrors on the injury front for new head coach John Harbaugh who has seen his star quarterback, and star pass rusher go done to long term injuries over the last handful of days.
Brian Burns exited his team’s Week 3 win over the Titans with a knee injury of his own, with the team believing it will be a season ending ACL tear once MRI results are in.
Prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, New York had shown interest in potentially drafting McCarthy, and will have some inside knowledge of the QB’s game given his time spent at Michigan where Harbaugh’s brother Jim was the head coach. With a clean bill of health, and a new environment, the former NCAA champion will look for a fresh start in the Big Apple.
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