Giants trade for Vikings QB McCarthy, but say Winston remains QB1 — SkimNews
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- New York Giants traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Vikings for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 No. 10 overall selection who had been Minnesota's third-string QB behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.
- John Harbaugh reaffirmed that Jameis Winston remains the Giants' starter despite the trade, saying "Jameis is starting... He's our starting quarterback, and that's how we're rolling."
- McCarthy lost Minnesota's starting job in training camp to Murray and was further demoted to third string after an ankle injury in the final preseason game; he will open as the Giants' No. 2 or 3 QB while learning the offense.
- Jameis Winston took over for injured Jaxson Dart (out for the rest of the regular season after meniscus and MCL surgery) and has completed just 51% of his passes for 229 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
- The trade reunites McCarthy with the Harbaugh coaching tree — Jim Harbaugh coached him at Michigan, and brother John noted he watched McCarthy closely during that era.
- Per the Elias Sports Bureau, McCarthy's 10 starts for Minnesota place him among just four quarterbacks in the past 25 years to start 10 or fewer games for the team that drafted them, joining Paxton Lynch, Trey Lance and Johnny Manziel.
- The Giants improved to 2-1 with a 12-7 win over the Titans and host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday; they also waived Jake Haener but plan to re-sign him to the practice squad.
Why it matters: The Giants landed a former top-10 pick at the cost of a late 2027 fifth-rounder, preserving their short-term plan with Winston while adding a high-upside developmental piece. For Minnesota, moving McCarthy — a starter in just 10 games over two-plus seasons — cements his place among the most notable recent first-round QB busts and converts sunk cost into a future asset.
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