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NFL.com News fantasy football takes on J.J. McCarthy
Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from NFL.com News about J.J. McCarthy.
61
Insights
16
Positive
25
Negative
Insight ledger
All NFL.com News insights about J.J. McCarthy
NegativeProjectionAug 1, 2026
McCarthy takes over an offense that rejuvenated Sam Darnold's career last season; he inherited the 'Porsche of offenses' with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and a remade offensive line. Kevin O'Connell is a proven QB whisperer, so the assumption is McCarthy should have little trouble keeping things afloat. Minnesota is a 14-win club that improved on paper entering 2025. However, McCarthy is the 'pendulum that could swing the course of the entire NFC North' after missing all of 2024, making him the NFL's biggest wild card.NegativeRoleAug 1, 2026
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell insists he's running a legitimate quarterback competition, but every indicator suggests it's Kyler Murray's job to lose; McCarthy has struggled when on the field and had issues staying healthy, making a legitimate competition unlikely despite the coach's public stance.NegativeRoleAug 1, 2026
McCarthy is one of the Chargers' quarterbacks who could benefit from Darren Waller's depth and red zone threat at tight end.NegativeRoleNo date
Giants acquired QB J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick following a Dart injury; the trade provides quarterback depth and contingency planning.PositiveProjectionNo date
Played much better than expected in first start for Giants, going toe to toe with C.J. Stroud by firing collection of precise passes to likes of Malik Nabers and Malachi Fields; Giants ran for 188 yards, but shouldn't discount McCarthy's performance. Now he'll have to do it consistently to truly repair his reputation. Next Gen Stats: generated 19.4% explosive pass rate in Week 7 against Texans (fourth-highest of career, minimum 10 attempts), but posted 32.3% success rate (second-lowest). Efficient on throws outside numbers, completing 8 of 13 for 169 yards (13.0 yards per attempt); on all other throws, completed 12 of 14 for 83 yards (5.9 yards per attempt).PositiveProjectionNo date
Acquired by the Giants for a fifth-round pick late last month; the source notes that if McCarthy continues to play like his first five quarters in New York, the trade will have been a winning move for the team. The trade is characterized as potentially having saved the Giants' season, with the team entering the bye week at 4-2-1 atop the NFC East.NegativeProjectionNo date
McCarthy still took three sacks and the Giants faced more third-and-longs than ideal in his first start, but the QB showed he could overcome even on the road against an opponent coming off back-to-back wins.PositiveBreakoutNo date
McCarthy, the 2024 first-rounder, looked like a completely different player in his first Giants start than he had in Minnesota; he was confident, accurate and decisive against Houston, with some of his downfield throws so perfectly thrown over defenders that it was as if he reached out and handed his wideout the ball; right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said 'The moment wasn't too big for him' and that McCarthy 'took command of that from the first to the last snap.'PositiveProjectionNo date
McCarthy led Giants to 27-21 overtime win against Houston Texans in his first start, posting 20-for-28 for 252 yards with no interceptions. He took care of the football and threw with accuracy against a traditionally quality defense. Analysts note his mobility and ability to throw downfield have raised the ceiling for Giants offense, though his floor remains uncertain and he needs to string together multiple good games before being viewed as a difference-maker.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
McCarthy is set to start for the Giants in Week 7 against the Texans.NegativeRoleNo date
Will make his first start for the Giants after being traded to New York roughly one month ago; is a third-stringer who has been far too inaccurate and struggled with turnovers in his young career, facing a tricky matchup against the Texans.PositiveUsageNo date
McCarthy's biggest impact as the Giants' starter is expected to come on the run game. The coaching staff installed quarterback-run packages for McCarthy, including zone reads, to reincorporate the dual-threat elements that were central to the offense's identity with Jaxson Dart. McCarthy's 28-yard scramble in the final drive against the Saints illustrated the difference between his mobility and Winston's lumbering pocket movement. Even though McCarthy isn't as effective a rusher as Dart, defenses will need to respect him as a running threat, which should open lanes on zone reads—desperately needed given the offensive line and running backs' struggles.PositiveProjectionNo date
In limited action against the Saints (11:25 remaining, down 24 points), McCarthy threw for 243 yards and nearly led a game-winning drive, finishing 14 yards away from a potential touchdown. He impressed with arm talent and pinpoint throws into tight windows, showcasing the skill that made him the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. However, the Saints played vanilla defense, and McCarthy will face a much stiffer test against Houston's Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, arguably the league's best edge rusher duo.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy has been named the Giants' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against Houston, taking over from Jameis Winston. Coach John Harbaugh stated McCarthy "gives us the best chance to play the best offense we can." McCarthy was acquired via trade (2027 fifth-round pick to Minnesota) on Sept. 28 and is expected to be the long-term starter; Harbaugh said the "plan going forward" is to roll with McCarthy at quarterback.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy will start for the Giants in Week 7 against the Houston Texans after being benched in favor of Jameis Winston during the Giants' Week 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints. In relief during that game, McCarthy threw for 243 yards, one touchdown, and a two-point conversion while leading three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, demonstrating enough momentum to earn the starting nod over Winston. McCarthy, 23, provides more mobility than Winston and has a live arm, though his accuracy has been inconsistent; over 12 career appearances he has completed 57.2% of his passes for 1,875 yards, 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy is now in contention for the Giants' Week 7 starting QB role after an impressive fourth-quarter performance in Week 6. In his first extended appearance since being acquired from Minnesota in September, McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, one TD and one INT in the fourth quarter alone. He led three scoring drives and cut the Saints' 24-point deficit to seven points. McCarthy's 14.9 air yards per attempt and 17.2 air yards per completion were the most by any QB with at least 20 dropbacks in a game this season per Next Gen Stats. Coach Harbaugh acknowledged McCarthy 'just got here a couple weeks ago' but is factoring his performance into the QB1 decision for Week 7 against Houston.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy helped spark a late run for the Giants after John Harbaugh benched Jameis Winston, looking more comfortable and taking command of the offense better than he did in Minnesota; though he was lucky to throw only one INT (could have easily been three) and the Giants were in scramble mode down 34-10, McCarthy showed more upside than Winston and may get a shot to start Week 7 against Houston.NegativeUsageNo date
McCarthy accounted for 26 rushing yards in the Giants' 34-27 loss to Saints, contributing to the team's 84 total rushing yards. His dual-threat ability was noted as potentially beneficial to the run game if he becomes the Giants' starter, though the source notes that losing Jaxson Dart at the start of the season has already hampered the rushing attack.NegativeProjectionNo date
Dan Pompei acknowledges McCarthy has talent worth developing and it hasn't always looked pretty, but suggests the timing of a start is questionable given the Giants are 3-2-1 and in first place in the NFC East; they can win the division if their quarterback doesn't lose it for them. Sticking with Winston for now is probably the smart move, but if Winston has more games like the Saints loss, Harbaugh can make a change to develop McCarthy.PositiveRoleNo date
Ted Nguyen argues going to McCarthy is the right move because McCarthy needs reps to develop; he didn't pass the ball a lot in college and missed his entire rookie year due to injury. While late-game relief performances rarely translate to the next game, McCarthy gives the Giants offense more mobility and could improve with experience, whereas Winston is capable of multiple turnover games and won't lead them to the playoffs.NegativeProjectionNo date
Mike Jones notes McCarthy was so bad that Kevin O'Connell gave up on him, and while he threw a touchdown and interception in relief against the Saints, his biggest problem has been consistency; he completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards with one TD and one INT, plus two carries for 26 yards, but would need to do much more to convince Jones he's a quality option rather than an ongoing project. The core issue: can he execute effectively over a whole game and do so weekly, or is he just providing a spark when defenses haven't game-planned for him?PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy took over as Giants QB after Jameis Winston threw his second interception early in the fourth quarter against New Orleans, leading three touchdown drives to get within seven points in the final minute. He threw for 243 yards in just over 11 minutes, including a TD pass to Isaiah Likely after getting picked off on his first possession. His 243 passing yards tied Eli Manning's franchise record for most by a Giants QB in a fourth-quarter comeback situation over at least the past 35 years. Coach Harbaugh said McCarthy 'came in there and did a heck of a job given the circumstances: kind of desperation time' and 'made some plays and gave us a chance at the end to win the game,' though the Giants lost 34-27.NegativeValueNo date
Quarterback was acquired by the Giants from the Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick; New York made the trade after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury.NegativeRoleNo date
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was recently traded to the New York Giants, was the last quarterback to throw an interception against the Cowboys, doing so in Week 15 last season when Quinnen Williams picked him off. The Cowboys have not recorded an interception since that play and are the only NFL team without an interception through five games of the 2025 season.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
Acquired via trade by the Giants as a 2024 first-rounder to supply John Harbaugh with another option under center if Jameis Winston continued to struggle. McCarthy remains on the bench after Winston's mixed performance kept his job safe for another week.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy was acquired by the Giants from the Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick and views the trade as 'an opportunity to take advantage of.' Head coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence in McCarthy's talent, saying 'He can throw it. He can run it. He can make plays' and noting that 'from a talent standpoint, I don't think anybody would deny that J.J. McCarthy is a very talented young quarterback.' Harbaugh is a fan of McCarthy, who helped his brother Jim lead Michigan to a national championship. The Giants have not committed to a timeline for when McCarthy might be ready to play, with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy noting the learning curve involves cadence, personnel groupings, formations, motions, shifts, plays, and defensive reads.NegativeValueNo date
Christian Gonzalez grades the Giants' acquisition of McCarthy as a C, noting that the price of a fifth-round pick is reasonable for a former first-round quarterback. Teams use fifth-rounders and later as QB dart throws all the time. However, the Giants' lack of 2027 picks is a concern, though they can address that later. With Jaxson Dart out for the regular season after knee surgery, the Giants needed to make some sort of move, and McCarthy at least gives them another alternative if Jameis Winston struggles.NegativeProjectionNo date
Christian Gonzalez is not optimistic that McCarthy can turn his career around with the Giants. McCarthy's poor play and injury history left Minnesota with no good options, and the Vikings couldn't afford to let the 23-year-old develop on his terms in a win-now mode. Gonzalez notes that it's a serious question whether John Harbaugh will give Jameis Winston enough leash for a 15-game run, suggesting McCarthy is merely an alternative if Winston crumbles rather than a solution.NegativeRoleNo date
McCarthy was a former No. 10 overall pick who became a clipboard holder in Minnesota after failing to fend off Carson Wentz for the primary backup role during training camp. Christian Gonzalez describes this as 'a bad look all around' for a first-rounder. McCarthy's rough preseason performance meant it took an injury to a starting QB (Jaxson Dart) to move the needle on his trade value.PositiveRoleNo date
The Giants acquired McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick in Week 3, signaling the team's desire to add a young quarterback with first-round pedigree and upside. Coach John Harbaugh praised McCarthy's talent, stating: '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.' Harbaugh noted McCarthy 'can throw it. He can run it. He can make plays,' though acknowledged areas for improvement. The source indicates McCarthy is under contract for at least two more years and will get acclimated to the team and offensive scheme this week before potentially taking over as starter. The trade signals the Giants felt they needed 'someone with more upside' at the backup position and didn't think Jake Haener offered enough.NegativeValueNo date
The Giants traded a fifth-round pick to acquire McCarthy as a replacement for an injured Baker Mayfield. This trade is cited as context for the potential trade value of backup quarterbacks like Bagent; a strong performance could significantly boost his market value similar to what the Giants were willing to pay for McCarthy.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy was acquired by the Giants as a young passer to build on following Jaxson Dart's Week 2 knee injury that sidelined him for the regular season. The Giants hope McCarthy can succeed where the Vikings gave up on him too quickly. McCarthy's best days came at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh; his brother John Harbaugh is now the Giants head coach and may be able to coax positive play where Kevin O'Connell failed. McCarthy gives the Giants another option if Jameis Winston's play deteriorates or he gets injured, with his speed in the new offense potentially determining when he might see the field.NegativeProjectionNo date
McCarthy was traded from the Vikings to the Giants after just 10 starts in which he struggled mightily with accuracy. In his 10 starts, he completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Vikings moved on after McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a preseason knee injury, then struggled to stay healthy and was scattershot when on the field, showing only brief glimpses of consistently moving the offense. During training camp and preseason, the struggles continued, and the Vikings couldn't trust McCarthy even as the primary backup, relegating him to an inactive emergency third QB to start the season.NegativeProjectionNo date
McCarthy joins the Giants after Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee surgery; the source notes it's a tall order for any QB to join mid-season without much experience, especially while learning a new scheme on the fly. However, the Giants scouted McCarthy heavily during the 2024 pre-draft process before selecting Malik Nabers sixth overall, so GM Joe Schoen should be familiar with his strengths and weaknesses. McCarthy was a first-round pick for a reason, and the source acknowledges 'it's at least plausible the Giants are a better fit for his game' and that he 'wouldn't be the first high pick to flame out with his original team and find success elsewhere.'NegativeBustNo date
McCarthy was a first-round pick by the Vikings in 2024 but never got off the ground due to injuries and performance inconsistencies; he never mastered Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell's user-friendly offense and lost the QB competition to Kyler Murray early in training camp, with Carson Wentz chosen as backup over him. The source characterizes McCarthy as 'an extreme long shot to live up to the draft price' and 'a bust of a pick for the Vikings,' though notes he was traded in-season before his value could depreciate further.NegativeRoleNo date
Listed as a possible backup QB target for the Giants; described as a younger former first-rounder and starter who has fallen out of favor and lost his starting gig over the last 12 months due to poor play and/or injury.NegativeValueNo date
McCarthy, the Vikings' 2024 first-round pick, missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus and was sidelined for seven games last season due to injuries. He fell to third string this season after the Vikings signed Murray to start and re-signed Wentz as backup. McCarthy has started only 10 games with 12 interceptions and 11 touchdowns. However, he is well-liked in the Harbaugh family; Jim Harbaugh once lauded McCarthy as the greatest quarterback in Michigan history.NegativeValueNo date
McCarthy, the Vikings' 2023 first-round pick, is currently the third-stringer behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Speculation has circulated that Minnesota would be open to moving on from McCarthy, but Vikings GM Nolan Teasley said in early September he expects the 23-year-old to remain on the roster in 2026.NegativeValueNo date
McCarthy, the Vikings' 2024 first-round pick, missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus and was sidelined for seven games last season due to injuries; he has fallen to third string this season after the team signed Kyler Murray to start and re-signed Carson Wentz as backup. McCarthy has started only 10 games with more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11), though he is well-liked in the Harbaugh family (Jim Harbaugh once lauded him as the greatest quarterback in Michigan history). As a developmental project, he is unlikely to help teams in immediate need.NegativeRoleNo date
J.J. McCarthy is listed as the backup quarterback behind Carson Wentz for Week 2 against Chicago. McCarthy has been dealing with injuries throughout the 2025 season, which contributed to Minnesota's quarterback instability earlier in the year.PositiveRoleNo date
McCarthy's accuracy and reliability issues forced O'Connell to streamline the Vikings' offensive scheme in 2025; the original plan to target Justin Jefferson and light up the scoreboard conflicted with McCarthy's development needs, prompting a shift to a simpler blend featuring heavy personnel on early downs and sideline-focused third-down concepts to ease pressure on the raw second-year quarterback.NegativeRoleNo date
Coach O'Connell emphasized McCarthy remains two snaps away from playing time and must continue preparing despite QB3 status. O'Connell noted McCarthy showed great engagement with the game plan and remains a beacon of energy on the team. The coach stated: 'If and when we feel like he is ready and gives us the best chance, being one snap away with limited reps, we can obviously do that,' indicating McCarthy has a path back if he demonstrates readiness, though there is limited room for further decline before the Vikings move on.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
McCarthy has fallen to QB3 on the Vikings depth chart behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz for Week 1 against Green Bay. The 2024 No. 10 overall pick's demotion was telegraphed throughout the offseason; despite coach Kevin O'Connell's stated openness to competition, Murray was presumed to start from the moment he signed his one-year deal. McCarthy's preseason struggles and ankle injury made the decision relatively easy for a team battling for a playoff spot that cannot risk having a first-round pick as the backup if Murray—who has his own injury history—goes down.NegativeRoleNo date
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is listed as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate despite various injuries and losing the QB competition, suggesting diminished comeback prospects.NegativeRoleNo date
Vikings kept McCarthy as possible QB3 on initial 53-man roster, a decision that could prove awkward if Wentz serves as primary backup to Murray; it's also possible the club will trade the former No. 10 overall pick in the coming weeks.NegativeRoleNo date
McCarthy lost the Vikings' starting competition to Kyler Murray within two weeks of training camp; Coach Kevin O'Connell named Murray the starter early and committed to continuing McCarthy's development as a backup rather than engaging in a prolonged quarterback battle.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
McCarthy made the Vikings' initial 53-man roster despite preseason trade rumors involving the Los Angeles Chargers and Jim Harbaugh; Minnesota opted to carry four quarterbacks (joining the Eagles and Steelers) rather than move McCarthy, keeping him as Kyler Murray's understudy.NegativeInjuryNo date
QB J.J. McCarthy did not play in Friday's preseason game against the Broncos due to an ankle injury, but there is no long-term concern, per ESPN.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
The former No. 10 overall pick lost the starting competition to Kyler Murray and now faces risk of yielding the backup job to veteran Carson Wentz; his rough outing against the Ravens' backups in preseason certainly didn't help his cause.NegativeRoleNo date
The former No. 10 overall pick lost the starting competition to Kyler Murray and now faces risk of yielding the backup job to veteran Carson Wentz; last week's rough outing against the Ravens' backups certainly didn't help McCarthy's cause.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
Third-year QB unlikely to be outright cut by Minnesota, but should be traded if any team calls; despite Kevin O'Connell's public statements, the club would trust Carson Wentz more than McCarthy as QB2 in the event Kyler Murray goes down; former No. 10 overall pick caddying as QB3 could present issues.NegativeProjectionNo date
Had a dismal preseason outing Saturday in which he airmailed would-be scores. The source notes this performance puts fear into the Vikings' coaching staff regarding backup QB depth; if Kyler Murray goes down with injury midseason, the question of whether McCarthy or Carson Wentz is more trustworthy to keep the season afloat is concerning.NegativeInjuryNo date
McCarthy was pulled from the game after a couple of hard hits left him walking gingerly off the field, despite coach Kevin O'Connell having planned to give him more playing time. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft missed his rookie year recovering from knee surgery and was limited to 10 starts last season because of multiple injuries.NegativeProjectionNo date
McCarthy had an erratic start for the Vikings in preseason, completing 5 of 10 passes for 81 yards in a loss to Baltimore. He misfired to open receivers multiple times, including sailing a ball over Myles Price on fourth-and-1 and throwing too hard into the end zone twice for incompletions. Coach Kevin O'Connell pulled him after a couple of hard hits left him walking gingerly off the field, leaving unclear who will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Kyler Murray.NegativeRoleNo date
McCarthy, Murray's understudy, didn't find much downfield in the preseason game and only saw action on three possessions before his day ended with 34 yards on 4-of-7 passing, suggesting limited offensive production in his limited preseason action.NegativeProjectionNo date
McCarthy, the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, has made just 10 career starts and his value is at an all-time low following poor performance as the Vikings' starter. Minnesota could give him extended playing time against the Giants on Saturday to help boost his trade market value, with Carson Wentz waiting in the wings as Murray's primary backup if the Vikings part ways with McCarthy.NegativeRoleNo date
Lost QB competition to Kyler Murray for Week 1 starting role.NegativeRoleNo date
Lost the Vikings starting QB competition to Kyler Murray after two weeks of training camp. McCarthy, the 2024 first-rounder, struggled mightily last year and has experienced health issues through two pro seasons. Despite O'Connell insisting on a true competition and splitting first-team reps during camp, Murray took the larger share, particularly in full-team sessions. McCarthy will serve as backup QB behind Murray. Head coach O'Connell stated McCarthy would continue to receive significant reps for development, but the decision to name Murray starter before the first preseason game underscores it was always Murray's job to lose. The 23-year-old now faces questions about whether he maintains the backup role or drops below Carson Wentz on the depth chart, with the possibility of being off Minnesota's roster before Week 1 if performance deteriorates.NegativeRoleNo date
McCarthy acknowledged the competitive outcome was outside his control, stating he focused on 'attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control.' Coach O'Connell expects McCarthy to be prepared for whenever his number is called as the backup quarterback, though the source notes this is a boilerplate response that reflects the cold reality of the NFL: if you don't produce, the team will find someone who will.NegativeDepth ChartNo date
McCarthy's demotion to backup became official after Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell named veteran Kyler Murray as Minnesota's Week 1 starting quarterback. The 2024 first-round pick, who was positioned as the face of the Vikings' future twelve months prior, lost the starting competition before the preseason began. O'Connell explained he'd seen enough from Murray to name him the starter and afford him the opportunity to get comfortable running Minnesota's first-team offense, with McCarthy remaining a valuable member of the Vikings as Murray's backup.NegativeRoleNo date
Despite Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell insisting on a legitimate quarterback competition, every indicator suggests it is Kyler Murray's job to lose; McCarthy has struggled when on the field and had issues staying healthy, while Murray enters with proven ability.