The Washington Commanders head into Week 5 needing a win against the New York Giants, and they may be lining up against a different quarterback than expected.
New York has already made a move for J.J. McCarthy, sending a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings to get him. The Giants were hoping the No. 10 selection in 2024 would become their answer at quarterback, but that plan never really took hold.
Even so, the Giants found enough in McCarthy to make the deal, and despite their 3-1 start after beating the Arizona Cardinals, head coach John Harbaugh has left the door open to a change under center for the trip to Washington.
"I think that's a possibility. We'll see how it goes during the week, but that's definitely on the table."
That could be a bluff, or it could be a real decision still taking shape as the week unfolds. Swapping out Jameis Winston while the Giants are winning would be a significant move, but it also makes sense that they wouldn’t trade for McCarthy just to keep him parked on the sideline with Jaxson Dart unavailable.
If McCarthy does get the nod, the Commanders may actually benefit from it.
Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones would be in a strong spot to attack him. Jones spent time as Brian Flores' right-hand man in Minnesota and has worked with and against McCarthy before. That gives Washington some useful familiarity, even if the Giants can still keep a few wrinkles hidden in their scheme.
For Jones, the bigger picture is simple: he should know where McCarthy can be pushed and where the pressure points are.
The Commanders will have to get ready for both quarterbacks, but McCarthy may be the easier one to prepare for. Winston, for all his volatility, brings the kind of week-to-week unpredictability that makes life harder for a defense. McCarthy, by contrast, comes with more known tendencies, and the Giants won’t be able to surprise Washington with him.
Jones has already seen how McCarthy’s situation unraveled in Minnesota, and while a lot of that time was spent on the sideline, there were also conversations behind the scenes that could help Washington if McCarthy is suddenly in the lineup for a different team.
With the game likely to come down to small details, that kind of edge matters.
Still, the most likely outcome is that the Giants stick with Winston for one more week. He’s completing 55.1 percent of his passes and has been living on the edge with the ball, but he knows the system and has the trust of the locker room.
The Giants may not want to shorten his leash just yet, especially with a division game that could move them to 4-1. But McCarthy is sitting there as the wild card, and if Harbaugh likes what he sees from him in practice, the Giants could decide to roll the dice.
If that happens, Jones may be the one smiling.
In Other News...
Giants Just Got A Tougher NFC East Problem To Prepare For
A rough afternoon in London left Washington with more than just a loss to the Colts. Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow in Week 5, and the injury immediately changed the conversation around the Commanders offense after Marcus Mariota had already gone down and third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis was forced into action.
Dan Quinn said Daniels is on track to potentially return as soon as next week against the Giants, a development that would give Washington a much different look than it had overseas. For New York, it means preparing for a division opponent that may not be scrambling at quarterback for long, even if the recovery timeline still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Week 5 Injury Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The injury picture around Washington has shifted quickly enough to become a real Week 5 storyline, and it reaches across both sides of the ball. The Commanders are trying to manage hamstring strains for Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin, while Charles Omenihu is working through groin and ankle issues and Marcus Mariota is dealing with a sprained MCL. Jayden Daniels is still expected to start despite his own dislocated elbow, which gives the quarterback room at least some clarity even as the rest of the roster gets more complicated.
Nick Cross adds another layer after his illness and hospitalization, and the list of limited or sidelined players keeps the pressure on Washingtons depth. For a team already balancing injuries at receiver, along the defensive front and behind center, the concern is less about any one name than the cumulative effect on how the Commanders can actually function this week. The next update on availability may say plenty about how much margin this group still has left. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Face A QB Decision They Can't Ignore
Washingtons quarterback room got another look this week after the team brought in Jack Plummer for a workout following Marcus Mariotas injury. For now, though, the Commanders are not planning to add him, a sign they believe Mariotas absence will be short enough to avoid an injured reserve move. With Jayden Daniels also expected back soon from an elbow injury, the position remains in a holding pattern while the staff waits to see how the health of the room settles.
Dan Quinn has stayed upbeat through a stretch that has featured multiple injuries around the roster, and this latest quarterback wrinkle fits the same uneasy theme. The Commanders do not appear ready to make a roster move at the position yet, but they are clearly keeping options open as they navigate a week-to-week situation that could shift quickly depending on Mariota and Daniels. [Read more 🡒]