J.J. McCarthy trade grades: Giants may have…

The New York Giants were rumored to be making calls all across the NFL in search of some quarterback help, and they’ve supposedly found their move. On Monday, the club agreed to a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to land former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. In exchange, New York is sending out a 2027 fifth-round pick. 

This all comes after the Giants lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the rest of the season due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 2. While initially thought to not be too serious, further examination showed the injury was more severe, and Dart has since undergone surgery that’ll put him on the shelf for the rest of the year. 

That stretched New York’s quarterback depth very thin, with Jameis Winston the only other quarterback on the active roster at the time of Dart’s injury. Winston got the start in Week 3’s win over the Titans on Sunday, with Jake Haener backing him up after being elevated from the practice squad. Despite squeaking out the victory, Winston wasn’t sharp and completed just 14 of his 22 passes for 118 yards and no touchdowns. 

It’s unclear whether McCarthy will come in and usurp Winston as QB1, but it does give the Giants another option, adding someone with 10 career starts under his belt. 

This deal puts to bed McCarthy’s humdrum tenure in Minnesota. During the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings moved up to the No. 10 overall pick to select the Michigan product as their QB of the future. That investment never saw returns, as a knee injury erased his entire rookie season. Then, as they turned the keys over to him in 2025 and allowed Sam Darnold — who led them to a 14-3 record the previous year — to leave in free agency, McCarthy struggled mightily. Last season, the team finished with a 9-8 record (6-4 in McCarthy’s starts) and missed the playoffs. 

That led the Vikings to sign Kyler Murray this offseason, and the veteran was named the starter in the early days of training camp. After McCarthy was relegated to QB3 behind Carson Wentz, the writing was on the wall. He had no future in Minnesota, and a departure — like we’ve seen here — was inevitable. 

With this deal now executed, let’s figure out who came out on top. Below, you can find our grades for this early-season trade between two NFC squads. 

J.J. McCarthy trade grades

New York Giants: C

It really depends on how the Giants view McCarthy coming aboard. Is he simply providing depth? Or are they eyeing him to leapfrog Winston on the depth chart and be New York’s starter the rest of the way? If it’s the latter, it’s a risky roll of the dice. While Winston did not look good coming in under duress for Dart in Week 2 or even in Week 3 against Tennessee, there’s no guarantee McCarthy is an upgrade. He might even be a downgrade. Sure, he’s younger (still only 23 years old), but when he’s been on the field thus far, he’s left little to be desired. 

Last season, McCarthy ranked last among qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (58%), touchdowns-to-interceptions (11-12), and passer rating (72.6).

Of course, there is a Michigan/Harbaugh connection here. McCarthy played under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, and the two won a national championship together in 2023. Naturally, one would think Giants head coach John Harbaugh gave his brother a call to vet McCarthy before making this deal, and the current Chargers head coach probably gave the green light. 

While it’s always possible McCarthy is the latest castoff QB to catch lightning in a bottle and resurrect his career, this feels like a lateral move right now. 

Minnesota Vikings: B+

It felt like J.J. McCarthy’s trade value was nonexistent, so the fact that the Vikings are getting something for him should be looked at as a win. While landing a Day 3 pick will hardly change the fortunes of the franchise, getting a fifth-rounder in what is billed as a loaded 2027 draft isn’t nothing. If New York craters post-Dart and with this Winston/McCarthy combination under center, Minnesota could be looking at a pick inside the top 150. They also clear about $4.6 million in cash and cap space. 

While McCarthy was already established as QB3, the Vikings moving on from their former first-rounder also removes any potential tension in the QB room. It makes the pecking order of Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz as the top two options crystal clear. That aspect of the trade can’t be overlooked either.