JJ McCarthy gets official Week 5 status

JJ McCarthy has yet to make his debut for the New York Giants, but he’s getting a little closer.

The Giants will continue to roll with Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback in Week 5’s meeting with the Washington Commanders, but McCarthy is now the primary backup under center, according to the latest depth chart update from New York.

The move on McCarthy comes on the heels of the Giants sending quarterback Jake Haener back to the practice squad. Haener served as New York’s QB2 in the team’s Week 4 game against the Arizona Cardinals, but he didn’t see the field, with Winston playing the entire contest.

The Giants’ QB situation was thrown into chaos early in the 2026 season after Jaxson Dart suffered serious knee injuries in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams.

New York then tapped Winston to handle the chores under center. So far, the Giants have gone undefeated since Winston took over the starting role, defeating the Tennessee Titans and the Cardinals in Week 3 and Week 4, respectively. 

But Winston is also such a volatile QB option that the team might need another quarterback to settle things at the position down the road. McCarthy could be that guy, but for now, he’ll stay in Winston’s shadow, at least for the Commanders game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md.