J.J. McCarthy Trade 2026: Giants Land Vikings QB for 2027 Pick

The Minnesota Vikings traded quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants on Monday, Sept. 28, sending the 2024 first-round pick to New York for a 2027 fifth-round selection, per Vikings.com and Giants.com. The deal is contingent on McCarthy passing a physical. It closes out a turbulent stretch in Minnesota and lands McCarthy on a team that just lost its starter for the season.

J.J. McCarthy trade 2026: how the Giants landed the Vikings QB

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo first reported the trade Monday, with ESPN's Adam Schefter confirming, per NFL.com. The Vikings had selected McCarthy 10th overall out of Michigan in the 2024 draft, and moving him for a Day 3 pick two years later reflects how far he fell on Minnesota's depth chart. He lost the 2026 starting job to free agent addition Kyler Murray, whom the Vikings named their starter on Aug. 11, and had slipped to third string behind Carson Wentz by the time of the trade, per NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk.

The Giants needed a quarterback. Second-year starter Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, and Jameis Winston has started since, going 14 of 22 for 118 yards in a 12-7 win over Tennessee in Week 3 after a 28-6 loss to the Rams the week before. Combined over those two starts, Winston is 25 of 49 for 229 yards with one interception and no touchdowns, per thesportsleader.com. Jake Haener has served as Winston's backup, signed off the practice squad, per Giants.com.

The numbers behind McCarthy's Vikings tenure

McCarthy spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in Minnesota's first preseason game of 2024, per Vikings.com. He debuted in Week 1 of 2025 and immediately impressed: 13 of 20 passing for 143 yards and three touchdowns, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. A high ankle sprain against Atlanta in Week 2 cost him five games. He returned in Week 9 and finished with 10 starts and a 6-4 record.

For the 2025 season, McCarthy completed 140 of 243 passes (57.6%) for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 72.6 passer rating, per Vikings.com and Giants.com. He also added 181 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 37 carries, per Giants.com. Per thesportsleader.com, McCarthy has not played since last season's finale, when he injured his throwing hand in the third quarter, and he has appeared in only 10 NFL games across two seasons.

McCarthy earned team captain honors in 2025 and, per Giants.com, became the first Vikings quarterback to make his NFL debut and start in a season opener in franchise history. He also became the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the fourth quarter of his debut. At Michigan, he went 27-1 as a starter and won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh, brother of current Giants head coach John Harbaugh, per Giants.com.

What Harbaugh and the Giants are saying

Harbaugh framed the addition as low-cost competition. "Really glad, really happy, very excited to add J.J. McCarthy," he said, per thesportsleader.com. "That's part of the process. We've been turning over every stone." On Winston, who signed a two-year, $13 million extension through 2028 this year per Yahoo Sports, Harbaugh has stayed supportive: "He can throw it. He's a big, strong passing quarterback," he said, per Yahoo Sports.

For now, Winston remains the starter. Per NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk, whether McCarthy gets a chance "depends on whether Winston is injured, and whether Winston remains sufficiently effective." McCarthy will also need time to learn New York's offense before he is game-ready, per thesportsleader.com.

Betting and fantasy impact

Sportsbooks were not moved by the trade itself. Giants Super Bowl odds had already shortened to +8000 at DraftKings and +15000 at BetRivers, per thesportsleader.com (Sept. 28, 2026), following the 12-7 win over Tennessee in Week 3, and that outlet reported oddsmakers largely shrugged at the McCarthy addition on top of that.

The fantasy read is straightforward. Winston stays a two-quarterback-league streamer at best, having thrown zero touchdown passes across his last two starts. McCarthy is not a single-QB add yet since he is buried on the depth chart and still learning the playbook. He carries speculative dynasty and keeper value given his rushing upside (181 yards, four scores on the ground in 2025) if an injury or a rough Winston stretch opens the door. For Minnesota, this is closure rather than a market mover. The Vikings already had their answer at quarterback in Murray and turned a stashed asset into an extra Day 3 pick instead of nothing. Check the daily NFL picks and the AI sports picks board before Sunday, or ask Chad about Giants backup-QB odds once books post a line on McCarthy.

What to watch next

The Giants play the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4 (Week 4), then travel to face the Washington Commanders on Oct. 11 (Week 5), host the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 18 (Week 6) and visit the Houston Texans on Oct. 25 (Week 7) before their Week 8 bye, per Giants.com's schedule. That stretch gives New York four games to evaluate whether Winston holds the job or whether McCarthy, once he clears his physical and learns the system, gets a look before the bye. Watch Giants beat reports for word on McCarthy's practice reps and any shift in Winston's efficiency, plus how Minnesota deploys that added 2027 fifth-round pick once draft season approaches.

FAQ

What did the Giants give up for J.J. McCarthy? The Giants sent the Vikings a 2027 fifth-round draft pick for McCarthy, a trade first reported Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, and still pending a physical, per Vikings.com and Giants.com.

Why did the Vikings trade J.J. McCarthy? McCarthy lost the 2026 starting job to Kyler Murray, whom the Vikings named their starter on Aug. 11, and had fallen to third on the depth chart behind Carson Wentz, per NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk.

Is J.J. McCarthy the Giants' starting quarterback? No. Jameis Winston remains the starter after Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury. Coach John Harbaugh has praised Winston's arm, and McCarthy still needs to learn the offense, per Yahoo Sports and thesportsleader.com.

What were J.J. McCarthy's stats with the Vikings? In 10 starts across the 2025 season, McCarthy completed 140 of 243 passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 72.6 rating, going 6-4 as a starter, per Vikings.com and Giants.com.

Chad AI tracks every Giants and Vikings quarterback snap and prop line through the season inside the StatSniper app.

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