After impressing in just 11 minutes of play on Sunday, J.J. McCarthy has officially been named the starter for the New York Giants against the Houston Texans in Week 7 of the NFL season, according to NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler.
McCarthy joined the Giants just a few weeks ago when the team lost starter Jaxson Dart to season-ending knee surgery. Even though new head coach John Harbaugh had Jameis Winston on the team, getting a little more talent in the quarterback room never hurts when one guy goes down.
Breaking: The New York Giants plan to start QB J.J. McCarthy this Sunday vs. the Texans, a source told @JFowlerESPN. pic.twitter.com/I9bGP7rdZf
— ESPN (@espn) October 21, 2026
McCarthy's time in Minnesota left Vikings fans cheering for his trade, but now he could make a new name for himself in New York. McCarthy came in for the Giants in the fourth quarter, replacing Winston, in what looked like garbage time, down 34-10. It might seem crazy, but McCarthy nearly led an improbable comeback in just 11 minutes, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal, making the Saints sweat it out.
In just 11 minutes, McCarthy was the leading passer of the day between the two teams, going 11-for-21 with 243 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also rushed twice for 26 yards, showing off his running ability just a little bit.
J.J. McCarthy will be tested against the Texans defense
The former Michigan quarterback will now get his first start since January 4 of this year with the Minnesota Vikings against the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy led the Vikings to a 16-3 win over the Packers and is hoping for a similar result against the Texans.
Now, the Texans' defense looks a lot scarier on paper than it actually does on the field. With guys like Will Anderson bearing down on the quarterback, McCarthy will need to be smart in the pocket, but this defense is allowing 329 yards per game and 26.4 points. However, they have done a fairly good job of getting to the quarterback, ranking fourth in the league with 18 sacks.
This defense is marginally better than what McCarthy faced with the Saints, so it may not come quite as easily this week, but officially being named the starter is huge in terms of getting snaps in practice this week.
It probably won't be perfect, and McCarthy might struggle, but if he can find success, the Giants are still very much in play to make the playoffs this season. The NFC East is a disaster right now, and the Giants are currently in first place in the division, so if McCarthy can simply keep things going in a positive manner, he could see the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Let's start with this week against the Texans, though, and McCarthy will definitely have the Michigan fanbase behind him
Add us as a preferred source on Google