J.J. McCarthy trade grades for Giants, Vikings after QB goes to New York for draft pick

(Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images J.J. McCarthy is heading to the New York Giants. A week after the franchise lost Jaxson Dart for hte season due to a knee injury that requires surgery, the Giants have sent an unconditional fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to the Minnesota Vikings for McCarthy, who lost training camp battles over the summer not just for the starting job (to Kyler Murray) but eventually for the backup job to Carson Wentz. When Dart went down for the season, it sparked speculation that the Giants might swing a move for a new quarterback, rather than hand the keys to Jameis Winston for the entire season. While New York managed a win on Sunday against the 12-7 Tennessee Titans, the offense has not exactly been running on all cylinders after Dart’s injury. And with New York losing Brian Burns for the season due to a knee injury of his own, the Giants need every bit of offense they can get. Let’s hand out some grades. New York Giants: A- After Dart’s injury, we tested the quarterback trade waters on the NFL Feed by asking which backup quarterbacks could be traded ahead of the annual NFL Trade Deadline. While many dismissed the idea of a trade, given the risk associated with trading away a backup at a premium position, the Giants managed to swing a deal to acquire McCarthy well ahead of the deadline. Giving up a fifth-round pick for a cost-controlled quarterback that has ten NFL starts under his belt and is just 23 years old seems like a solid bit of business, even if it is your proverbial “dart throw.” While McCarthy has not lived up to the expectations with being a first-round selection, there is upside, and New York offensive coordinator Matt Nagy does have a history of quarterback development, dating back to his time with Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears. While Trubisky never lived up to the billing that came with being the No. 2 quarterback taken in the 2017 NFL Draft — eight spots ahead of Patrick Mahomes — Nagy was able to get Trubisky and the Bears to the playoffs. If he can work similar magic during a season where the Giants lost their starter? Fantastic. If not, New York gave up a fifth-round pick. Minnesota Vikings: A For the Vikings, this trade solves two distinct issues. First, it ends the speculation over McCarthy’s future and eliminates any true chance of a quarterback controversy, at least for this season. When a team drafts a young quarterback in the first round, there is every expectation that the player will see the field. Even when you bring in a veteran like Murray. After just three weeks, the Vikings are 3-0 and atop the NFC North. While Murray has not been flawless, the defense has been, as Brian Flores’ unit has flustered Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, and Baker Mayfield over the last three weeks. The Minnesota defense has given up 13.7 points per game — ranking second in the NFL — and when you look at Expected Points Added, the Vikings are almost off the chart: Data from RBSDM.com. This is a playoff defense that just needs some consistency from the offense, and with the talent around the quarterback position, a steady veteran might be the better answer for 2026 than the unpredictability McCarthy has shown over his ten NFL starts. The other reason this is a win for Minnesota is a financial one. By trading McCarthy, even on his rookie deal, the move saves the Vikings some money. As noted by Tom Pelissero, by moving the quarterback now the Vikings save nearly $5 million on cash and cap space: By trading J.J. McCarthy now, the Vikings save over $4.6M in cash and cap space and get an unconditional fifth-round pick in the next draft that, depending how the Giants finish, could end up being a top-150 selection. Meanwhile, New York adds another former first-round pick QB. https://t.co/gnXn6nWzY5 — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 28, 2026 That is also a good bit of business for a quarterback that likely needs a fresh start. Speaking of which … J.J. McCarthy: A This is good for J.J. McCarthy as well. Things just did not come together for him in Minnesota. There were flashes — like a comeback win over the Chicago Bears at the start of last season — but it never truly clicked for him with the Vikings. Sometimes, you just need a fresh start. He will get that, playing for John Harbaugh. He may not start right away for the Giants, it is likely he gets some time to learn Nagy’s system, but this could be a good environment for him to showcase what he could be in the NFL. With Dart on the roster, it is unlikely that McCarthy supplants the other young quarterback on the roster as the starting QB going forward, but this could be the best chance for McCarthy to earn another starting job elsewhere in the league.

Read it at SB Nation ↗

← Front page