The Giants are working the phones after losing Jaxson Dart for the season, and the search appears to be moving fast. According to Tom Pelissero, GM Joe Schoen has been checking in on every available quarterback option around the league, and Pelissero said a deal feels like a question of when, not if. He believes it could happen as soon as Monday.
New York’s most obvious target type is a quarterback with starting experience, and the top free-agent name in that bucket is Jimmy Garoppolo. But Pelissero also pointed to a few trade possibilities that could be in play if teams are willing to listen: J.J. McCarthy, Mac Jones, Spencer Rattler, and Justin Fields.
There’s also another route on the table. Pelissero said the Giants could sign Joe Milton off the Cowboys’ practice squad.
Among the names floating around, McCarthy stands out as the one who might benefit most from a change of scenery. It was recently reported that the Vikings could want a conditional draft pick to move him.
McCarthy, 23, won a national title with Michigan in 2023 and was named first-team All-Big Ten. Minnesota selected him with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
He signed a four-year, $21,854,796 deal that included a $12,714,396 signing bonus and a fifth-year option for the team to exercise in 2028.
In 2025, McCarthy played in 10 games for the Vikings and completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also added 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
In Other News...
Vikings Take A Late Defensive Hit Before Huge Bucs Matchup
The Vikings head into their Week 3 trip to Tampa Bay with the offensive side in decent shape, as quarterback Kyler Murray and running back Aaron Jones are both available for the matchup with the Buccaneers. Minnesota also made a change at punter, with Brett Thorson still sidelined by a hamstring injury and Johnny Hekker set to handle the job for at least one week.
On the other side of the injury report, though, the defense took a late hit. Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was downgraded to questionable because of a non-injury related personal matter, and he did not travel with the team, leaving the Vikings to sort through another important absence before a big early-season test. [Read more 🡒]
J.J. McCarthy Just Put The Vikings In A Real Trade Debate
The injury to Jaxson Dart has put the quarterback market in motion again, and it has also created an interesting conversation around J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota. With the Giants suddenly needing answers, speculation has turned to whether they could call about the Vikings young quarterback, a development that only adds more attention to a situation Minnesota has been managing carefully.
Any trade talk would have to run through Kevin OConnells view of McCarthys future, and that is where the real debate starts. OConnell has shown interest in developing him, which makes an in-season deal feel complicated even before you get to the value question, but recent quarterback trades suggest McCarthy would not command a massive haul, perhaps landing somewhere in the range of a fourth- or sixth-round pick. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Give Dillon Bell A Chance Their Passing Game Desperately Needs
The Vikings brought Dillon Bell up to the 53-man roster last week, giving him a shot after Jauan Jennings absence created another opening on the depth chart. Bells limited role so far has been confined to special teams, but the move still hinted at a team looking for any way to spark a passing game that has been sputtering.
Bell flashed in the preseason, and Minnesota has not been shy about searching for answers as the offense tries to find more consistency through the air. He has yet to turn that into a real regular-season impact, but the door appears open for more opportunities if the Vikings decide they need another receiver to help lighten the load. [Read more 🡒]