The Giants are shaking things up following their 3-2-1 start to the 2026 season.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported that New York plans to start J.J. McCarthy at quarterback this weekend against the Texans. Veteran Jameis Winston had started the previous four games after Jaxson Dart sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. After Winston was benched in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Saints, the Giants will now turn to McCarthy under center.
Coach John Harbaugh later confirmed the news.
“We will be starting J.J. in the game,” he said to local reporters Wednesday. “Jameis will be the backup and Jake [Haener] will be the No. 3 emergency quarterback.”
McCarthy, 23, was selected by the Vikings with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but after an up-and-down two-plus-year tenure in Minnesota, the Vikings traded him to the Giants in late September. The third-year pro now has a change of scenery in New York, plus what looks like a runway to resuscitate his once-promising career.
But is this the right move for the Giants, who are still firmly in the mix to not only make the playoffs, but potentially win the NFC East? Here’s the argument for and against New York starting McCarthy at quarterback.
Why starting J.J. McCarthy is the right move
J.J. McCarthy nearly led the Giants to a win over the Saints last Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Giants trailed by three scores when they turned to McCarthy in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Saints, with the deficit growing to 34–10 before New Orleans opted to pull its starters. Then, just as he did in his first career start with the Vikings two years ago, McCarthy pulled some magic out of his hat—nearly leading the Giants on a fourth-quarter comeback for the ages.
After throwing an interception on his first possession under center, McCarthy led New York on three consecutive scoring drives in the final frame, cutting the Saints’ lead to just seven points with 1:55 remaining. Then, after the Giants forced a three-and-out, they got the ball back with less than a minute to go and marched 57 yards in seven plays before a turnover on downs ultimately ended their bid for a win. Despite playing only five drives, McCarthy finished 11-for-21 for 243 yards, one touchdown, an interception, and a passer rating of 90.0.
McCarthy’s Giants debut was promising, and after Winston failed to show consistent week-over-week improvement, it makes sense for the team to hand him the offensive reins moving forward. McCarthy’s mobility should give coordinator Matt Nagy more opportunities to open up the offense—particularly in the run game—and his near-instant chemistry with wide receiver Malik Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely should only continue to grow with a full week of practice and game preparation.
Plus, the front office just sent their 2027 fifth-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for McCarthy. With another year left on his rookie contract, the Giants need to find out what they have in the 23-year-old sooner rather than later—especially with Dart likely returning to full health by the start of next season.
Why starting J.J. McCarthy is the wrong move
J.J. McCarthy will make his first start for the Giants in Week 7. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
All that said, McCarthy has learned Nagy’s system in less than a month, and only in a backup role—meaning he’s gotten minimal first-team reps and likely spent more time with the scout team.
Just last week, Giants quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan was asked how he felt about McCarthy’s ability to run their offense if necessary.
“To be fair to him, you definitely would make sure he’s got a good solid amount of plays that he feels great about,” he explained. “And there may be some things that [since] he’s a little bit newer … you stay away from. But I would say, for the most part, I feel pretty good about him being able to operate a game plan at this point.”
ORR: Why Keeping J.J. McCarthy on the Bench Is the Smart Long-Term Move for the Giants
“He’s got the game plan down,” Harbaugh added on Wednesday. “I think he had it down last week pretty fully, even more so this week. It has been tailored a little more toward his direction, probably, but he’ll be ready to go.”
Even if the Giants do ultimately feel good about McCarthy’s ability to run their offense, a Week 7 against the rising Texans is a difficult spot for him to make his first start. After opening the season 0–4, Houston has won two consecutive games and is starting to look more like the Super Bowl contender some thought they’d be entering the year.
While quarterback Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars to 31 points against them last week, he’s also faced the Texans’ defense plenty of times For a better look at what McCarthy could be in for this weekend, look at second-year pro Cam Ward, who threw for just 170 yards and an interception against Houston while the Titans managed only three points in a Week 5 loss.
Needless to say, starting McCarthy on the road against a red-hot Texans team is a risk, but coach John Harbaugh is apparently willing to take it.
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