The Minnesota Vikings traded quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. The move follows a season-ending knee injury to Giants starter Jaxson Dart and McCarthy’s struggle to secure a starting role in Minnesota.
The New York Giants are adding a former first-round pick to a quarterback room devastated by the loss of Jaxson Dart. Dart suffered a knee injury during a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that requires surgery and carries a recovery timeline of four to six months.
The Cost of the McCarthy Trade
Minnesota moved the 23-year-old McCarthy for a 2027 fifth-round pick, a return described as essentially, nothing
for the highest-drafted quarterback in Vikings history. The Vikings originally moved up to the No. 10 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft to select McCarthy, who came to the league fresh off a national championship at Michigan where he was coached by Jim Harbaugh.
https://x.com/RapSheet/status/2104604270721196169
The trade leaves Minnesota in a precarious long-term position. Both current quarterbacks, Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, are on one-year deals, meaning the Vikings have no quarterbacks under contract for the 2027 season. The Vikings’ move on from McCarthy was telegraphed during the offseason when the club sought free agent Kyler Murray, who signed on a veteran minimum contract, and re-signed veteran Carson Wentz.
Injury History and Struggles in Minnesota
McCarthy’s tenure in Minnesota was defined by a persistent inability to stay on the field. He missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.
When healthy, the results were inconsistent. In his 10 starts last year—his only appearances in a Vikings jersey—McCarthy completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was described as “scattershot,” showing only brief glimpses of consistently moving the offense, while Justin Jefferson endured the worst statistical season of his career.
Despite these struggles, the Vikings went 6-4 in those 10 games, a success attributed in large part to one of the NFL’s best defenses. However, the Vikings’ front office clearly lost faith in the young signal-caller. Even after Kyler Murray suffered an injury in Week 1 of the current season, McCarthy could not reclaim the job. Instead, the Vikings turned to 33-year-old veteran Carson Wentz, leaving McCarthy as the third-string quarterback on the depth chart.
New York’s Quarterback Competition
In a Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Giants’ offense was mostly lifeless,
with Winston throwing for only 118 yards on 14-of-22 passing. All of the Giants’ points in that 12-7 victory came by way of field goals, and the team has not scored a touchdown in seven-plus quarters since Winston took over.
While John Harbaugh affirmed after Sunday’s win that Winston is still his starting quarterback, the addition of McCarthy provides competition in case Winston does not improve. John Harbaugh will now hope that the success McCarthy had under Jim Harbaugh repeats for his team.
The move places the Giants in rare company; they are now one of only seven teams in the common draft era to have three former first-round picks on their roster simultaneously. The current group consists of Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston, and J.J. McCarthy. This follows the Giants’ drafting of Malik Nabers, who was taken four picks before McCarthy in the 2024 draft.
The trade is currently pending a physical, per the Vikings. Whether McCarthy steps in as the Giants’ starter remains to be determined.