Tom Pelissero reports the Giants are trading a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Vikings for QB J.J. McCarthy.
The Giants lost QB Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury, and McCarthy was among the six targets they were focused on. They were fully expected to add a quarterback in some capacity with Jameis Winston and Jake Haener as the only healthy options on the roster.
Winston led the team to a 12-7 win over the Titans in Week 3, but the offense failed to reach the endzone and Winston threw for just 118 yards.
According to Jordan Schultz, the Giants view the move as a way to bolster the backup position behind Winston, not to take over for the veteran. Schultz says the Giants didn’t feel comfortable going 15 more games with only Haener backing up Winston.
McCarthy, 23, led Michigan to a national championship in 2023 and was named first-team All-Big Ten. The Vikings used the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy.
He signed a four-year, $21,854,796 contract that included a $12,714,396 signing bonus and a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
In 2025, McCarthy appeared in 10 games for the Vikings and completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns.
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