J.J. McCarthy’s move from Minnesota to New York gives both sides a clean break and a new shot.
The former Michigan quarterback was traded Monday from the Vikings to the Giants, according to Jordan Schultz of the Bleacher Report, ending a run in Minnesota that never really got off the ground. McCarthy, who led Michigan football to the national championship during the 2023 season, went 10th overall to the Vikings in the 2024 NFL draft with the idea that he would become their long-term answer under center.
That plan unraveled quickly. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason in 2024, wiping out his rookie year before it even started and costing him a full season of development. Minnesota later watched Sam Darnold guide the team to the NFC North Title in 2024, then moved on from him and handed the job to McCarthy.
The results were uneven. In 10 starts, McCarthy went 6-4.
He accounted for three total touchdowns in four of those starts and did have one bright early moment, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week after producing three touchdowns and leading a comeback win over the Bears in Week 1 of 2025. But the season never really settled in his favor.
He was injured again, the offensive line struggled, and the offense never found its rhythm.
McCarthy finished 2025 completing 57.4 percent of his passes. In his second year under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, he ended the season with 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and four rushing touchdowns. He also had one game-winning drive and one fourth-quarter comeback.
New York, though, offers a different path. Jaxson Dart is out for the season, and the Giants have a roster that had some people talking about playoff contention even after that injury. John Harbaugh is also a familiar face for McCarthy, since his brother coached McCarthy in college, and the two have surely discussed what went wrong in the NFL.
From the Giants’ perspective, the deal carries little downside. Jameis Winston is the starter for now, and New York is 2-1.
If McCarthy gets his chance and figures it out, the payoff could be real. If not, the Giants have not given up much.
For McCarthy, it’s a needed reset. He’s 100 percent, and with more experience, there’s still a chance his career can get moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
Michigan Fans Will Be Second Guessing One Late Coaching Choice
Michigans one-point loss to Iowa was the kind of game that leaves a fan base replaying the final minutes over and over. The Wolverines had their chances in a 20-19 defeat, but the closing sequence is likely to be the part that lingers most, especially with the offense leaning on the run game when the game was hanging in the balance.
The biggest talking point is the late decision to run the ball three straight times, a choice the article attributes to head coach Kyle Whittingham. It is the sort of call that can look sensible in the moment and frustrating in hindsight, and for Michigan it now sits at the center of what went wrong in a game that slipped away by the slimmest of margins. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Loss To Iowa Looks Even Worse After One Brutal Reality
Michigans 20-19 loss to Iowa had all the markings of one of those frustrating afternoons that sticks with a fan base long after the final whistle. The Wolverines controlled plenty of the underlying numbers and even posted a higher success rate, but the scoreboard told a far less forgiving story, one shaped by missed chances and a game that slipped away despite the statistical edge.
Iowas special teams helped tilt the night with a kickoff return for a touchdown, and Michigan did not make enough of its own opportunities in the red zone to compensate. An interception and a failed fourth-down try inside scoring range loomed especially large in a one-point game, turning what looked like a solid performance on paper into a loss that feels even harder to explain in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Defense Did Enough To Win Until Two Costly Mistakes
For most of the afternoon against Iowa, Michigans defense did what it had to do. It kept the Wolverines in front, squeezed the Hawkeyes offense and gave the team a chance to ride the lead, with CB Zeke Berry, edge Dom Nichols and S Chris Bracy all drawing strong grades for their work on a unit that generally looked in control.
Still, the game turned on a handful of mistakes that proved too costly to absorb. Michigan finished with seven missed tackles, and a couple of critical penalties and breakdowns helped undercut all the good work that came before them, leaving the defense with the frustrating feeling that it had done enough to win until it didnt. [Read more 🡒]