J.J. McCarthy’s Giants run is starting to look like the kind of quarterback rescue story the NFL keeps producing.
The league has made a habit of turning once-discounted passers into real answers. Geno Smith did it.
Baker Mayfield did it. Sam Darnold did it.
Daniel Jones did it. Now McCarthy is trying to join that list after a rocky start with the Minnesota Vikings and a sudden new life with the Giants.
Minnesota took McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 draft after trading up for him, but the marriage never got off the ground. Injuries played a part, and so did McCarthy’s own lack of development and proven NFL-level polish. By the time it became clear that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell - who had helped steer the turnarounds for Darnold and Jones - wasn’t going to be the one to unlock him, McCarthy’s future in Minnesota had already gone sideways.
That’s how he ended up in New York. On September 28, the Vikings sent McCarthy to the Giants for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
At that point, he was buried as Minnesota’s third-string quarterback behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, while the Giants were scrambling after Jaxson Dart suffered meniscus and MCL injuries in his left knee in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams. New York needed help behind Jameis Winston.
McCarthy needed a reset.
The reset arrived in a hurry in the Giants’ 34-27 Week 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Winston threw an interception with 12:28 left, and after New York had built a 10-0 lead before falling behind 34-10, head coach John Harbaugh turned to McCarthy to try to jolt the offense.
What followed was more than a spark. In less than a full fourth quarter, McCarthy went 11 of 21 for 243 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 90.0 passer rating.
The big plays weren’t manufactured with easy throws and yards after the catch, either. He was pushing the ball downfield and landing several explosive strikes right on target.
That performance earned McCarthy a spot in Secret Superstars for Week 6, and it also got him the starting job for Week 7 against the Houston Texans. Even with DeMeco Ryans’ defense not matching its 2025 peak, the matchup still carried real weight.
McCarthy handled it well. In the Giants’ 27-21 overtime win, he completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and a 99.1 passer rating.
The Giants leaned on the run, but McCarthy kept firing with confidence, and the structure around him started to show up too. The route concepts were helping him operate within what he can do right now, and the fit with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, senior offensive assistant Greg Roman, and passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan has clearly mattered.
Those hires drew little excitement in the offseason, but they’ve worked out in McCarthy’s favor.
After the Texans game, McCarthy was asked about the tight-window throws that have become such a big part of his recent surge.
“Preparation,” McCarthy said after the Texans game, when asked how the tight-window throws have been such a big part of his recent performances. “I feel like preparation, over the years of playing football, you just refine the routine each and every week.
I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now, just Monday through Saturday and just being able to have that trust in these guys as early as now, since I’ve been here. I haven’t been here long, but I trust those guys every time the ball comes out of my hand.
I trust the offensive line up front. I trust the backs are going to get us in great situations when I do hit the checkdowns, but at the end of the day, it’s the players around me.”
Now the 4-2-1 Giants turn to a 2-6 Philadelphia Eagles team that has been a major disappointment. Vic Fangio said Tuesday that the Giants’ offense has become a real problem to deal with, and he singled out McCarthy’s quick rise.
“They’ve got a really good offense. They’ve got skill at the receiving position.
They did a nice job raiding the Ravens, not only for John [Harbaugh], but for [TE Isaiah] Likely and [FB Patrick] Ricard. They’ve got a lot of the Ravens-type offense that they had when Greg [Roman] was there, and they’ve intermixed Kansas City-type passing in there with Matt [Nagy].
They’ve got it going right now. They’ve got good wideouts, good tight ends, two good backs.
The quarterback has come in, in a short period of time, and really done a nice job, for them to get him for a [fifth-round] pick is a steal.”
If McCarthy keeps this up and helps the NFC East-leading Giants reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 season, his career will have taken a sharp turn in a hurry.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Got A Needed Recruiting Win At The Right Time
Michigan picked up a timely boost on the recruiting trail when Xavier Muhammad, one of the more highly regarded defensive line prospects in the 2027 class, reaffirmed his commitment to the Wolverines and passed on official visits to other programs, including Texas. For a program that always has to balance on-field priorities with long-term roster building, keeping a player of Muhammads caliber in the fold matters, especially as the season winds down and recruiting momentum starts to take shape.
Muhammad is still expected to make it to Ann Arbor for Michigans final home game of the season, a good sign that the relationship remains strong even with other schools trying to stay in the mix. His pledge also gives the Wolverines another important piece in a class that is already helping shape how the 2027 rankings look, and it leaves Michigan in position to keep pushing for more stability on the defensive front. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Added A Famous Wolverine To Rivalry Week
Rivalry week already has enough built-in theater, but Michigan added a little more with a celebrity nod that fits the moment. The program announced that actor Hugh Jackman will be part of the buildup for the Wolverines' game against Michigan State, and he showed clear excitement in a social media post and video shared by the team.
The matchup is set for Michigan Stadium, with Peacock and NBCSN carrying the broadcast, so the stage is already big enough without any extra help. Still, bringing in a famous Wolverine gives the rivalry another layer of buzz, and it is the kind of detail that tends to travel quickly once the pregame attention starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Showed Something Against UConn That Wolverines Fans Will Notice
Michigans trip to TD Garden ended with an 85-77 loss to UConn, but the Wolverines still left with something to build on in a rematch of the 2026 national championship. Trey McKenney was the headliner for Michigan, pouring in a career-high 22 points and giving the Wolverines a scoring punch they needed against a high-level opponent.
J.P. Estrella and Roddy Gayle Jr. also made meaningful contributions, which mattered in a game that asked Michigan to answer when UConn pushed the pace and the pressure. The result still counts in the loss column, but the performance offered a glimpse of what this group can be when it is balanced and aggressive, and now the attention shifts to a home date with Marquette. [Read more 🡒]