Overview
- Coach John Harbaugh announced Wednesday that J.J. McCarthy will start Sunday at Houston and that Jameis Winston will move to the backup role.
- New York acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick as a low-cost, controllable option and fast-tracked him into the playbook.
- McCarthy relieved Winston in Week 6 and completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception, a performance that prompted the promotion.
- McCarthy’s longer NFL record includes a 57.6 percent completion rate and an 11 TD/12 INT line in 10 starts for Minnesota in 2025, which analysts cite as accuracy and turnover concerns.
- The Giants are 3-2-1 and Harbaugh frames this as the team’s direction, but Jaxson Dart remains the club’s long-term asset and McCarthy would need an extended, high-level stretch to supplant him next season.