Grading the trade: Giants make a move to save their season and potentially J.J. McCarthy’s career in the National Football League
The New York Giants needed a quarterback after Jaxson Dart’s knee injury derailed their season, and they just landed one for almost nothing. Here is why this deal makes so much sense.
The New York Giants have made their move. With quarterback Jaxson Dart out a minimum of four to six months following knee surgery, New York traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in a deal that could reshape the trajectory of the Giants’ season.
As reported by Tom Pelissero, the Giants receive quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and in return the Vikings receive a 2027 5th-round pick.
That’s it. A fifth-round pick for a de facto starter. The Giants believe McCarthy is, at the bare minimum, going to play as well as Jameis Winston, if not better. Given what we’ve seen from Winston over the last six to seven quarters, it’s hard to argue with that logic.
How did we get here?
The dominoes started falling when Dart went down with a knee injury against the Rams on Monday Night Football. Initial reports suggested he would be fine, but the reality proved far worse. Dart required surgery and will be sidelined for four to six months.
Enter Winston. His relief appearance against the Rams didn’t inspire confidence, and his start against the Tennessee Titans was arguably worse. Winston threw for just over 100 yards and put up 12 points against what many consider the worst team in the league. The Giants and Vikings both recognized the situation was ripe for a mutually beneficial deal, and they pulled the trigger.
Why this trade deserves an A for the Giants
I give this trade an A grade for Joe Schoen, John Harbaugh, and the Giants. The truth is, if anybody was going to save their season, it probably wasn’t going to be Winston. I’m not so sure McCarthy is the guy to save the Giants’ season either, but given what we’ve watched from Winston recently, it can’t be much worse.
There’s another layer to this that makes it even more appealing. McCarthy played for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, which means John Harbaugh is going to have all the background work, all of the details he could possibly need on this quarterback. That familiarity alone gives New York a head start in getting McCarthy up to speed.
J.J. McCarthy 2025 stats
10 games played
- 6-4 record
- 1.632 passing yards
- 12 TDs, 11 INTs
- 57.6% completion percentage
On top of that, the Giants are essentially taking a flyer on a former first-round pick. If it works out, who knows what happens next between Dart and McCarthy. All that matters right now is that the Giants are trying to keep their season alive, and they just added an intriguing piece.
If nothing else, McCarthy is going to make the Giants more entertaining. And all New York had to give up was a fifth-round draft pick. That’s the kind of low-risk, high-reward move you have to make when your season is on the line.
