The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a trade sending quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a 2024 first-round pick, to New York in exchange for a mid-round pick in the 2027 draft.
The move comes as the Giants, currently 2-1, look for quarterback depth after starter Jaxson Dart suffered a likely season-ending knee injury in Week 2. McCarthy is expected to join the team and work to learn the offense, with the immediate goal of unseating Jake Haener as the primary backup to starter Jameis Winston.
For the Vikings, the trade closes the book on an experiment that began when they used a first-round pick on McCarthy in 2024. He went from being the team’s starter at the end of last season to fighting Kyler Murray for the job in training camp, losing that competition, and then being dropped to third string once the regular season started. When Murray missed time with a concussion after the season opener, Minnesota turned to Carson Wentz instead of McCarthy, a clear sign the team had moved on from him as a long-term option. His time in Minnesota was marked by frequent injuries and inconsistent play when healthy.
Giants coach John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim Harbaugh, coached McCarthy at the University of Michigan and called him the greatest quarterback to ever play there, later saying he was the best quarterback available in the 2024 draft. John Harbaugh’s willingness to bring McCarthy to New York suggests he believes some of that potential remains, even after a difficult stretch in Minnesota.
The Giants are not treating McCarthy as a replacement for Dart, whom the organization remains committed to developing long-term. Instead, McCarthy is viewed as a short-term option through 2027, while still on his rookie contract, who could be given a look as a starter later this season if Winston struggles or is injured.
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