The Minnesota Vikings traded former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants for a 2027 fifth-round selection, the team announced Monday.
The trade is pending McCarthy passing a physical.
Minnesota is parting ways with McCarthy just two years after using the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on him.
The trade gives the Giants another quarterback option after Jaxson Dart underwent knee surgery that will sideline him for at least the remainder of the regular season. New York started veteran signal-caller Jameis Winston in its Week 3 victory over the Tennessee Titans, but the franchise was reportedly already eyeing adding another passer.
The Giants made the trade to beef up the backup quarterback position behind Winston, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Jake Haener was penciled in as the No. 2 QB before the deal and served in that role Sunday.
McCarthy won the national championship in his final year at Michigan, but his NFL career hasn't been smooth sailing. He missed his entire rookie season due to a meniscus injury that required surgery, then took over as the starting quarterback in his second season. Although he showed flashes in 2025, McCarthy didn't do enough to convince the franchise, leading Minnesota to sign Kyler Murray this offseason.
The 23-year-old lost the Vikings' quarterback battle to Murray ahead of the 2026 season and was demoted to third-string quarterback as Carson Wentz became the immediate backup.
McCarthy heads to a Giants team led by John Harbaugh, the brother of his former Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh.
The Giants lost Dart to a knee injury that damaged his MCL, PCL, and meniscus in a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Since replacing Dart, Winston has completed 51% of his passes for 229 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.
McCarthy owns a 4-6 record across 10 career starts with a 57.6% completion rate, 11 touchdown passes, and 12 interceptions. He also has four rushing touchdowns and 181 yards on the ground.
