The New York Giants didn't wait long to backfill their quarterback room after Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury last Monday night.
On Monday, they sent a 2027 fifth-round draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings for 23-year-old J.J. McCarthy, a former first-round pick.
"Well, we've been talking about it ever since I think Jaxson got hurt, that we would need to add a quarterback, quarterbacks. That's part of the process," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters via Zoom. "We've been turning over every stone. This was an opportunity that kind of came up and able to finish the deal off this morning, late morning.
"Really glad, really happy, very excited to add J.J. McCarthy. I think he's a strong, young quarterback and has some experience in the
National Football League. Obviously, was a very high draft pick, very talented player, and is going to make us a stronger football team. So, excited about it; think it makes us better and get him in here as soon as we can. Get to work on learning the offense. Obviously, that's going to be a challenge, but we'll go to work on that and that's where we're at."
McCarthy was the 10th overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft out of Michigan, which he led to the National Championship that January. That Michigan team was coached by Harbaugh's younger brother, Jim, giving John a front-row seat to McCarthy's talent.
"He (Jim) always had good things to say about J.J. I mean, I kind of watched it," Harbaugh said. "I was following Michigan when Jim was coaching there. I don't follow them as much anymore, but when Jim was there, that was a team I watched closely, so I've watched J.J. play a lot."
And he must be thinking what a lot of other people are thinking. This kid plays a lot like Jaxson Dart and even resembles him in ways.
Did the Giants go out and get another version of Jaxson Dart...? 😂 pic.twitter.com/W7h8VriH8a
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) September 28, 2026
"His skill set is he's a talented guy. I mean, there's just no doubt about it. He's talented. He was a top-10 pick for a reason, and there's plenty of good tape, even in the NFL, out there," added Harbaugh, who then addressed the downside that McCarthy brings with him.
"So, I know he didn't hold on to that job in Minnesota, and that's why he's available. If he had, we wouldn't be talking or having this conversation right now. It would be somebody else. So, I did spend some time looking at him last week, along with a few other guys, and I came away impressed. Our scouts had already done the work, and I saw their reports, and I would have to concur with their reports based on what I saw.
"He can throw it. He can run it. He can make plays. There's a lot of things he could do better from what he did, obviously, and we're going to see where it goes from here. I mean, that's really what it boils down to. But just from a talent standpoint, I don't think anybody would deny that J.J. McCarthy is a very talented young quarterback."
The Vikings didn't think so. They reportedly got fed up with McCarthy's "immaturity" and inability to take coaching. They bumped him down to third-string this summer behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.
#Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell on JJ McCarthy:
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 28, 2026
“We tried to do everything we could… I do think he did develop and grow… but at the same time, you’re always gonna look inward. Circumstances, they are what they were and are, but what could we have done different.” pic.twitter.com/lJZTDMEOGw
Harbaugh also said that McCarthy would naturally have to be ramped up to even serve as the primary backup this Sunday when the Giants host the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium. He outlined the plan to acclimate McCarthy to the Giants.
"We'll figure that out as we get him in here. But it will definitely be extra work. And it will definitely be game-by-game, crash course, so to speak. We're going to have to get a good feel for like where he's at in terms of terminology," he said. "Kind of in Minnesota – we know their offense a little bit. We know how that system is built. So, our coaches have a pretty good idea on how he's going to be seeing the game. And then, what will make the most sense to him in terms of what we're doing, what's carryover, and then what's not, what's going to be new?
"The way we set up the protections or the way we flip the protections or the way we check the protections, all that kind of stuff, that's going to be a little bit of a work in progress probably, but there will be a lot of foundational knowledge because he's been playing quarterback for a long time, and he's been in a good system – a system that's somewhat similar to what we do. So, I feel like that's to be determined. You know, the next few days will determine kind of the process going forward as we get a chance to get a feel for where he's at."
The Giants took a flyer on a young maverick, and it might pay off in a big way for them. McCarthy is signed for this season and next and, as a first-round pick, comes with a fifth-year option for 2028 for the Giants to exercise or decline next spring.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' John Harbaugh: J.J. McCarthy 'will make us a stronger football team'
