Jameis Winston has given the Giants exactly what they needed in the short term: two straight wins and another likely start Sunday against Washington. But even with New York sitting atop the NFC East, the conversation around the quarterback room keeps circling back to J.J. McCarthy.
That’s not changing anytime soon, at least not in Rex Ryan’s view.
Ryan, speaking Monday on ESPN New York, made it clear he does not expect McCarthy to jump straight into the starting job this week.
“He just got there,” Ryan told ESPN New York on Monday. “He’s got to get up to speed, but once he does, then that leash [will] be a lot shorter for Jameis.”
For now, Winston remains the interim starter after stepping in for the injured Jaxson Dart in Week 2. His numbers have been uneven: 55.1 percent completions, 479 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. The Giants have survived some shaky stretches because of fourth-quarter defensive stands, and without those plays, they could easily be staring at a three-game skid instead of carrying momentum into their trip to Washington.
McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick acquired from the Vikings last week, is expected to stay in the backup role for the moment. Giants legend Eli Manning recently told ESPN New York that he thinks McCarthy will need about six weeks to get fully acclimated.
If that timeline holds, a late-November switch would be the likely landing spot. John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen have not offered any public timetable for a change.
Ryan, who has a longstanding relationship with Harbaugh and previously worked as his defensive coordinator in Baltimore, stopped short of predicting when the Giants might make the move. But he did offer a guarded take on McCarthy himself.
“There’s a reason this kid was taken in the first round,” Ryan pointed out. “I mean, there is. And so he’s gotta have some type of positive traits.”
That’s not much of a full-throated endorsement for a quarterback who went No. 10 only two years ago.
McCarthy’s NFL path has already been bumpy. Injuries have piled up, and questions about his work ethic and maturity have followed him. A team doesn’t push an incumbent starter down to No. 3 without serious concerns, and being on injured reserve was only part of the issue.
Maybe the fresh start comes with a new number. McCarthy has moved from No. 9 to No. 18, shedding the “Nine” identity that turned him into an easy target on social media during his first two seasons. If that reset helps him find his footing, the Giants will probably take it without asking for much more.
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