J.J. McCarthy says the move from Minnesota to New York landed fast, but he’s treating it like the kind of shakeup the NFL hands out without warning.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” the Giants quarterback said Friday, reflecting on the trade that sent him from the Vikings to New York earlier this week. McCarthy said the deal caught him off guard, but he’s embracing what comes next.
“I didn't anticipate it,” McCarthy said Friday. “But at the end of the day, it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity to take advantage of.”
He also pointed to what he’s leaving behind in Minnesota while sounding eager to start over in New York.
“Full experience of the nature of the beast which is the NFL. But I'm extremely blessed.
I'm extremely grateful for all the time in Minnesota. So many great relationships, so many learning lessons and growth.
And I'm just so fired up to be a New York Football Giant.”
The Giants sent a fifth-round pick to Minnesota for McCarthy on Monday. The Vikings drafted the Michigan quarterback in the first round in 2024 after he helped lead the Wolverines to a national championship.
McCarthy, 23, did not play at all as a rookie after undergoing meniscus surgery in August. He later moved into the Vikings’ No. 1 quarterback role after Sam Darnold left for the Seattle Seahawks, but his run as the starter didn’t produce the kind of results Minnesota wanted.
In 2025, McCarthy started 10 games, went 6-4, and threw for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Among 36 qualifying quarterbacks last season, he finished 35th in passer rating at 72.6 and completion percentage at 57.6%, according to TruMedia. He also missed seven starts because of various injuries.
This season opened with McCarthy listed as Minnesota’s third-string quarterback behind starter Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, a setup that made his future there look shaky.
Now he’s in New York after the Giants lost starter Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury. McCarthy joins the quarterback room and is set to back up Jameis Winston beginning in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh said McCarthy brings plenty to work with.
“He can throw it. He can run it.
He can make plays,” Harbaugh said of McCarthy. “There are a lot of things he could do better from what he did (in Minnesota), obviously, and we're going to see where it goes from here.
“I mean, that's really what it boils down to. But just from a talent standpoint, I don't think anybody would deny that J.J. McCarthy is a very talented young quarterback.”
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