It would be easy for Cowboys fans to spend Monday night laughing at the Giants after New York landed J.J. McCarthy. The joke is sitting right there, especially with McCarthy becoming the latest target for social media ridicule.
But that’s a little too quick. Dallas just lost to the Giants two weeks ago in a defeat that “humbled” Brian Schottenheimer and Co., and the standings are not exactly inviting Cowboys fans to crow.
New York is 2-1. Dallas is 1-2.
There’s also the simple fact that quarterbacks can change fast when they get a different setting. Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are the obvious reminders, and the Giants’ move was low-risk enough that it deserves more patience than instant mockery. McCarthy might be the punch line now, but he could still end up working in New York.
That’s not some random flyer, either. McCarthy was a national champion in college, a first-round pick, and a quarterback Kevin O’Connell traded up to get. The Giants also did plenty of work on him that year, and John Harbaugh has a built-in line of information through his brother Jim, McCarthy’s coach at Michigan.
That kind of connection matters. A Harbaugh can give McCarthy some familiarity and a real shot to get his confidence back. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston has looked lost in Jaxson Dart’s place, and Jake Haener has only been holding things down while New York sorts out its next move.
Winston should keep starting for now, but McCarthy changes the shape of the room. He raises both the floor and the ceiling while Dart is recovering, and he could eventually become a useful long-term backup if that’s where this heads. Given how often Dart seems to be sidelined or sitting in the blue medical tent, that kind of insurance has value.
There’s even a path where McCarthy gets on the field this season if Winston keeps playing the way he has. And with the Cowboys still on the schedule, Dallas fans probably shouldn’t get too comfortable with the idea that this will stay a joke.
The price was modest, too. The Giants sent a fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a 23-year-old quarterback with a winning record as an NFL starter, and that’s the kind of deal Joe Schoen can live with.
New York is also projected to receive a fifth-round compensatory pick next spring, which softens the hit even more. In practical terms, the Giants swapped out Cor’Dale Flott for McCarthy and moved back about 20 spots in the middle of Day 3.
It’s the same kind of gamble teams once laughed at with Mayfield and Darnold. Those moves looked amusing at first, then turned into something very different. Mayfield just landed a $100 million deal, and Darnold is a Super Bowl champion.
None of that means McCarthy is guaranteed to hit. He’s completed 57.6% of his passes as a pro, with 11 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
He’s also added four rushing touchdowns and lost six fumbles. The profile is still messy, and the sample is still small.
Still, writing him off now would be premature. The Giants traded for a quarterback who could become something, and that possibility is enough to keep the laughter in check for the moment. It may be funny that New York took this swing to solve its quarterback issues, but it won’t be funny at all if McCarthy turns out to be the answer.
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Cowboys Let A Winnable Game Slip As New Concerns Keep Growing
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