The Giants are heading into their matchup with the Cardinals with a few major storylines swirling, and the biggest one is still the health of Brian Burns. The star outside linebacker tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee along with his ACL, according to league and team sources. He was scheduled to have surgery Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and the expected recovery window from the ACL and meniscus procedures is 9-to-12 months.
That injury lands in familiar territory for the Giants. Malik Nabers dealt with a similar setback on Sept. 28 last season, and even after a second “clean-up” surgery to remove scar tissue slowed part of his rehab, he was still ready for the start of the 2026 season.
On the field, the Giants are also watching Arvell Reese continue to build momentum. His work against Tennessee stood out because of the way he was flying to the ball, and that same energy becomes even more valuable when the Giants line him up on the edge or send him as a blitzer.
Linebackers coach Frank Bush said, “Anytime we ask him to hit somebody his eyes light up,” Bush said. “He really takes pride in the run game and being physical.
It’s not just rhetoric with him. He wants to be dominating that way.
So yeah, when we blitz him, his eyes light up a little bit…Because in his mind he can affect the game that way. Not a lot of thinking.
It’s just a straight line, and if I whoop this guy’s ass, I got a chance.”
There’s also a fresh addition drawing attention inside the building. J.J.
McCarthy introduced himself to his new Giants teammates during Wednesday’s team meeting, and rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields came away with a strong first impression. Fields said McCarthy told the room he was “a baller and a competitor,” and added, “He’s fired up to help us out in whatever way he can.
I’m excited to get to know him and see what he can do.”
McCarthy’s arrival has already sparked plenty of outside discussion, too. Shelby Harris called New York an ideal landing spot for him, pointing to the staff around him.
“Well, what I will say is he’s stepping into an organization that has the best coaching staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball, best coaching staff with a lot of star power on that side of the ball,” Harris said. “You gotta think the QB coach is Brian Callahan, a former head coach, literally just head coached last year.
Then you have Matt Nagy at OC, you have Greg Roman as run game coordinator.
”So you have these guys who have so much experience in the game that I feel like it’s truly the best situation for a young quarterback to come into, to learn from a guy who’s worked with Andy Reid. You have guys who have been around the league that have over 30 years of experience almost each.”
Jim Harbaugh also said he spoke with John Harbaugh before the Giants sent a fifth-round pick to the Vikings for McCarthy on Monday. “I mean, John called me and asked me,” Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday.
“I said, ‘You know, John, I love you. I love J.J.
I think you guys would be - ’ so, really, I’m telling you the same thing that I told my brother.”
And while McCarthy is now part of the conversation in New York, ESPN framed the fit in practical terms: the Giants don’t need him to carry everything. The offense is expected to lean on the run game, the offensive line, heavy personnel groupings and a Cam Skattebo-led backfield.
McCarthy’s legs can matter, too - he ran for 181 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 - and the Giants can keep some of the RPO concepts they had in place for Dart to give him easier throws. ESPN also noted McCarthy was more effective outside the pocket, where his QBR in 2025 was 67.7, compared with 27.5 from inside the pocket.
The piece also pointed out that McCarthy comes in at a cost of less than $1 million over the rest of the season, which means the Giants don’t need him to be perfect for the move to make sense. And with Jameis Winston struggling to move the ball, that change has become part of the broader conversation around how this offense tries to function going forward.
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