J.J. McCarthy is the Giants Franchise QB

J.J. McCarthy is the Giants Franchise QB

When the Giants traded for J.J. McCarthy, most people saw it as an emergency move. The Giants needed quarterback depth after Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury that required season-ending surgery, so they acquired McCarthy for a 2027 fifth-round pick in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Some critics hated it. CBS Sports wrote that this trade doesn’t make sense — in more ways than one. Six weeks later, it looks like one of the best moves of the season. McCarthy has found a home with a coach who knows him: he played college ball at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh and won a national championship, and his new coach, John Harbaugh, is the brother of his former coach. Away from Minnesota, he looks like the quarterback the Vikings thought they were drafting at No. 10. He’s done a nice job filling in for Dart, playing a sound and smart brand of football that we didn’t see from him in Minnesota.

Thursday night against the Commanders, McCarthy had his signature moment. He came into the game banged up after leaving Sunday’s 19-11 win over the Eagles with a hip pointer, and the first half was quiet. He went 12 of 19 for 92 yards as the Giants trailed 10-7 at halftime. In the second half, he took over. With the Giants trailing in the fourth quarter, McCarthy connected with tight end Isaiah Likely over the middle in a tight window for a 66-yard touchdown, giving the Giants a 21-17 lead over the Commanders. After that throw, he was 22 of 32 for 272 yards and a touchdown, while adding 36 yards on the ground. The defense held from there, and New York intercepted Daniels for the second straight possession to protect a 21-17 lead late in the fourth quarter. On a short week, on a bad hip, in prime time against a division rival, McCarthy delivered.

Now the Giants have a decision to make, and it’s a good problem to have. Dart is still a talented young quarterback, but McCarthy is the one winning games. The Giants came into Thursday at 5-2-1, taking control of the NFC East, with the Eagles at 2-7, the Commanders at 2-5-1, and the Cowboys at 4-5. He’s 23, he plays smart, he can make plays with his legs, and he’s in a system with a coach who trusts him. McCarthy has always been a winner, too: he was 27-1 as a starter at the University of Michigan. In Minnesota, injuries and a quarterback carousel never gave him a fair shot. In New York, he’s getting one, and he’s taking full advantage. If he keeps winning like this, the Giants have to keep him as the guy, and that would make Jaxson Dart the backup