While the rest of the NFL might have written off former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Wolverines fans held out hope for their National Championship leader. Well, that hope looks to be paying off, as McCarthy has newfound success in the pros, but it isn't with the Minnesota Vikings.
Nope, after being traded nearly a month ago to the New York Giants after an injury to starter Jaxson Dart, McCarthy is finding his rhythm with his new team. The Vikings had pretty much discarded McCarthy after his early career was filled with injuries, and he struggled to find wins.
It took time for McCarthy to see the field with the Giants, but a crazy performance in the last 11 minutes of the game vs. the Saints was enough for head coach John Harbaugh to name him the starter against the Houston Texans in Week 7. Not only did McCarthy lead the team to an overtime win, but he also has the Giants in first place in the NFC East, currently sitting in a playoff spot.
J.J. McCarthy is doing things no Giants quarterback has been able to do in awhile
McCarthy is not the only former first-round draft pick to struggle early on in his career, and he definitely won't be the last. However, being able to adapt to a new team, especially as fast as McCarthy has, isn't easy to do, but the former Michigan QB is proving what made him so special in the first place.
Against the Texans, who at times have looked like a stellar defense this season, McCarthy was 20-for-28 with 252 passing yards. While he may not have thrown a touchdown, he didn't turn the ball over either, which sometimes is even more important.
McCarthy is pushing the ball down the field, something neither starter Dart nor original backup Jameis Winston was able to do when they were on the field. McCarthy, in close to five quarters, has eight completions and a touchdown of 20+ air yards, which is the same as Dart and Winston have combined in five games.
One thing separating J.J. McCarthy from Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart is the deep ball 👀
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 26, 2026
On passes of 20+ air yards, J.J. McCarthy already has as many completions (8) and TDS (1) as Winston and Dart have combined this season. pic.twitter.com/eiE17pSa9k
That is a great number for McCarthy because it shows he isn't just mobile, but can sit back in the pocket and let the ball fly as well. Turnovers have been a problem for McCarthy since coming to the NFL, and so far he is handling that pretty well with the Giants, especially with the risk of throwing the long ball.
The touchdowns will hopefully come, but it has already looked like McCarthy has built a solid relationship with the Giants' WR1, Malik Nabers, who has 96 yards with McCarthy throwing the ball vs. the Saints and 111 yards against the Texans.
If that connection can continue to grow, the touchdowns will hopefully follow. McCarthy is proving a lot of people wrong right now with his play in New York; now he just needs to sustain it, and he could lead the Giants to the playoffs.
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