The Giants’ quarterback picture keeps shifting, but the latest twist might be the one that matters most.
After Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury in Week 2, New York initially leaned on Jameis Winston. That plan lasted only a week.
The Giants then sent a 2027 fifth-round draft pick to the Vikings to land J.J. McCarthy, and now the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft is set to start Sunday at Houston.
He’s already moved from the bottom of Minnesota’s depth chart to the top of the Giants’ depth chart, thanks to a relief performance in last Sunday’s home loss to New Orleans that was enough to push him past Winston.
The switch made sense on tape and in the box score. McCarthy was cleaner throwing downfield, took better care of the ball and added a rushing threat Winston simply didn’t provide. Winston wasn’t giving New York the passing baseline it needed, so the Giants turned to the younger quarterback with the higher ceiling.
That decision doesn’t just affect one game. It changes the shape of the NFC East race, too.
According to the latest Bet365 odds to win the division, the Cowboys are now the favorites at +120. The Giants are next at +210, with the 1-4-1 Commanders sitting at +500 and the Eagles at +550 after Jalen Hurts’ season-ending blood clot concern altered their outlook. New York’s standing is helped by a schedule that ranks 11th easiest based on the combined winning strength of its remaining 11 opponents, though the Eagles, Commanders and Cowboys all have slates that are considered easier on paper.
The road ahead starts with a tough trip to Houston, where the Giants are expected to be big underdogs. But the next two games - both against division rivals in the Eagles and Commanders - should put them in position to be favored.
That matters in a race where the quarterback edge is still unsettled across the division. Dak Prescott gives Dallas the most proven starter, even if turnovers and a shaky defense have dragged the Cowboys down.
Jayden Daniels keeps showing flashes for Washington, but injuries around him have piled up, with Terry McLaurin, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Laremy Tunsil all affected. And for now, McCarthy gives the Giants a slight edge at quarterback over the Tanner McKee-led Eagles.
New York’s path isn’t about perfection. It’s about enough.
The Giants have six very winnable games left among their 11, with the obvious tests coming against the Texans, Jaguars, 49ers, Seahawks, Lions and Cowboys. The Lions and Cowboys games are on the road, and the season ends with a home rematch against the Eagles.
McCarthy won’t fix the running game or the defensive issues, but he does give the Giants a shot in the kinds of matchups that will decide whether they can hang around the top of the division. With a healthy Malik Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely creating mismatches in the passing game, New York suddenly has a more dangerous aerial attack against lesser opponents.
A finish around nine wins is in play, and that might be enough in what looks like a down year for the division. The Giants also already beat Dallas in Week 1, and the Cowboys’ defense has shown it can let them down against anybody.
There’s a longer-term angle here, too.
Winston is under contract through 2028 after signing a two-year, $13 million extension on Sept. 7.
McCarthy has one year left on his Vikings rookie deal in 2027. Between the two of them, the Giants would be carrying only a little more than $11 million in cap hit, while Dart is set to cost just $4.6 million in the third year of his rookie contract.
That gives New York room to keep all three quarterbacks on the roster in 2027 if it wants to. It also gives McCarthy a real chance to establish himself over the rest of 2026 as Dart’s clear backup and the club’s fallback plan going forward. The Giants can move on from Winston before 2028, then decide whether McCarthy is worth bringing back for another season or more.
For now, McCarthy’s profile fits what New York needs if Dart is unavailable: arm strength downfield, mobility and youth. McCarthy and Dart are both 23, which also makes Winston’s presence in the room - at 32 - useful from an experience standpoint.
On paper, the move might have looked odd at first. But with the price so low and Minnesota willing to deal him, the Giants appear to have landed a smart gamble that could pay off in more than one way.
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