Vikings know they could 'look bad' for trading J.J. McCarthy to Giants, praise his 'maturity'

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio raised eyebrows when he said on Tuesday that the New York Giants acquiring current starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick in late September "is a steal" for the Giants. 

Meanwhile, the 6-1 Vikings have reportedly been "aggressive in looking for running backs" amid the struggles of Kyler Murray, who Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks could soon be benched in favor of backup Carson Wentz. ESPN's Dan Graziano noted that he covered the Vikings' loss to the Detroit Lions this past Sunday after he worked the Giants' victory at the Houston Texans on Oct. 25. 

Vikings are reportedly "very happy" for J.J. McCarthy

"Vikings people I spoke to were very happy for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who thrived in his first start as a Giant after being traded away from the team that drafted him 10th in 2024," Graziano wrote. 

The Vikings acquired Murray earlier this year after McCarthy made just 10 regular-season starts over the first two campaigns of his pro career (he spent his rookie season recovering from a full meniscus repair). McCarthy was then relegated to QB3 duties in September before he landed with a Giants team that lost Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.

Vikings, J.J. McCarthy both understood he needed "a scenery change"

McCarthy initially took over as the Giants' temporary starter after head coach John Harbaugh benched Jameis Winston against the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 18. McCarthy went 11-of-21 passing for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception in what became a 34-27 loss to the Saints. 

The following Sunday, McCarthy completed 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards with no turnovers to help the Giants earn a 27-21 overtime win over the Texans in his first start with his current employer. 

"Minnesota coaches told me they believed McCarthy had matured significantly since the start of the 2026 offseason (the word "maturity" is also one the Giants' coaches are using to praise McCarthy) and they were happy the team had been able to send him to a place where he had a chance to be successful," Graziano added. "They also recognize they have a chance to look bad if McCarthy plays well for the Giants and Kyler Murray doesn't get things going in Minnesota, but everyone agrees it was time for a scenery change."

There is allegedly little chance that McCarthy will ultimately challenge Dart for the Giants' full-time starting job next year. For now, McCarthy could leave the Vikings wondering what could have been if he plays like a revelation for a New York team that participates in the playoffs.