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The arrow is pointing up for J.J. McCarthy with the New York Giants, even after a loss

People wrote off J.J. McCarthy way too early.
ByChris Peterson
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New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) looks to throw the ball during a game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium, Nov 12, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA.
New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) looks to throw the ball during a game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium, Nov 12, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Turns out, former Michigan football quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a lot more than a handoff merchant, as his critics have called him for years.

For years, Ohio State and Michigan State fans have claimed that McCarthy, the quarterback, who led Michigan football to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons, was part of three Big Ten championships, three wins over Ohio State, and a national title, was only good because of the signgate saga having to do with Connor Stalions.

Thursday night was a reminder that that idea couldn't be further from the truth. McCarthy, in his third start for the New York Giants, not only had another solid game; he delivered a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

The 66-yard strike went to Isaiah Likely. It was a euphoric moment for the Giants that was short-lived. Washington ended up getting the ball back and taking the lead on a Jayden Daniels touchdown pass. That ended up giving the Commanders the 24-21 win.

Another solid night for J.J. McCarthy

Still, it was another solid outing for McCarthy, who is now 2-1 as the New York Giants' starting quarterback since being traded from the Vikings earlier this season. Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

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However, after the Michigan football legend suffered an injury during his rookie season, he was thrust into the starting role during his second season after Sam Darnold signed with the Seahawks.

Seattle ended up winning the Super Bowl. McCarthy, who dealt with injuries and an offensive line that struggled to protect him, posted a 6-4 record as a starter with 11 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He also had four rushing touchdowns.

Unfortunately, the Giants defense allowed a touchdown in the final minutes to give up the lead. McCarthy attempted to get New York into scoring range, but he threw an interception. That's on McCarthy, but he accounted for 328 total yards.

New York is 5-3-1 now. McCarthy is 2-1 as a starter this season, which means over the past two years he is now 8-5 as a starting quarterback. He only has two touchdown passes and two interceptions with New York this season, but he's gone over 250 yards in two of three starts.

While, McCarthy still needs to improve, he would need four more starts to have a full season of starting experience under his belt. And after the trade, it feels like the arrow is pointing up, which is interesting after Minnesota just traded for another QB to replace the QB the Vikings replaced McCarthy with.

That's maybe the biggest takeaway: Too many people called McCarthy a bust too early, including the Vikings, who have to wonder if they made a mistake.

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