New York Giants Acquire J.J. McCarthy from Minnesota Vikings in Trade for 2027 Fifth-Round Pick

The New York Giants are set to trade for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy as they attempt to rebuild their signal-caller group in the wake of Jaxson Dart's season-ending injury. The Giants will send a 2027 fifth-round draft pick to the Vikings in exchange for the former first-round quarterback. The trade is pending a physical, per the Vikings.

Whether McCarthy steps in as the Giants' starter is to be determined. New York rolled out Jameis Winston in Week 3, but the offense was mostly lifeless in the 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. All of the Giants' points came by way of field goals.

McCarthy has the pedigree of a potential mid-career breakout as a former No. 10 overall pick, but his Minnesota career was a bust. It would be a surprise if he ever delivered on the high expectations that followed him out of college. The Giants will give him an opportunity to attempt a career revitalization after he slipped to No. 3 on the Vikings' depth chart behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.

The Giants now have three former first-round picks on their roster, which places them in rare company. Only six other teams in the common draft era constructed their offense in the same fashion.

YearTeamPlayers

2026

New York Giants

Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston, J.J. McCarthy

2025

Indianapolis Colts

Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, Philip Rivers

2018

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco, Robert Griffin III

2011

Oakland Raiders

Carson Palmer, Jason Campbell, Kyle Boller

1989

New York Jets

Ken O'Brien, Tony Eason, Mark Malone

1984

Chicago Bears

Jim McMahon, Steve Fuller, Greg Landry

1980

Oakland Raiders

Jim Plunkett, Dan Pastorini, Marc Wilson

Injuries derailed McCarthy's tenure in Minnesota and limited him to just 10 starts over two-plus seasons. He missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn meniscus, and sat nearly half of his second season due to a concussion, wrist fracture and ankle sprain. In the small amount of time he was healthy, McCarthy completed just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 181 yards and four scores.

The Giants reportedly made calls across the league this week in search of an addition to their quarterback group and landed on McCarthy over other backups like Justin Fields, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew II and Mac Jones, all of whom have more experience but less potential long-term upside than McCarthy.

Best-case, worst-case scenarios for J.J. McCarthy in New York

If this trade turns into a home run, it is a monumental win for both McCarthy and the Giants. That outcome would start with McCarthy eventually overtaking Winston for the starting job, finding success in a new offense and leading the Giants to a handful of wins. With standouts including Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo and Isaiah Likely on his squad, the talent around him could help unlock the breakthrough season that evaded him in Minnesota. A change of scenery is also, in some cases, all it takes to spark progress.

Not only would McCarthy establish himself as a viable starter heading into the final year of his contract, but the Giants would also have tremendous flexibility. They could flip him again and recoup more than the fifth-round pick they traded to acquire him, or they could hold onto him as a premier backup on an expiring deal in 2027.

More realistically, though, the low-stakes bet will not pay dividends. McCarthy could not find his footing even with a superstar receiver in Justin Jefferson by his side, so in that context there is no reason to expect him to reach a new gear without arguably the best wideout in the sport. His development might be permanently stunted because of the recurring injuries, and he could struggle to stay on rosters beyond the end of his contract. It is no guarantee that he will outperform Winston and hold onto the starting role in the first place.

J.J. McCarthy becomes latest to play for both Harbaugh brothers

John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh have a tendency to look out for each other when it comes to personnel moves. They are known to consult with each other on player acquisitions, and considering McCarthy won a College Football Playoff national championship with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, it is hard to imagine John Harbaugh did not touch base with his brother on what kind of quarterback he might receive if his team pulled off the trade.

McCarthy joins a laundry list of players to call both brothers their coach. The following are among the notable others who played for both of them.

QB Josh Johnson

RB Najee Harris

RB J.K. Dobbins

C Bradley Bozeman

TE Hayden Hurst

LB David Ojabo

S Alohi Gilman

Perhaps this should provide optimism for McCarthy's outlook in New York. The last coach to get the most out of him was a Harbaugh, so maybe the other can rekindle some of that fire. Granted, there is a difference between winning a championship with McCarthy at the college level and winning games with him in the NFL.

J.J. McCarthy's value plummets in just two years

It was only two years ago that McCarthy flew off the draft board as the No. 10 pick in a class that produced six first-round quarterbacks. Now he is a backup who commanded a fifth-rounder on the trade market. The Vikings cut bait after just 10 starts, accepted their failure in using a top pick on a bust and elected to move forward with Murray and Wentz.