Why Giants are trading for QB J.J. McCarthy from Vikings

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The New York Giants got some awful news after their Week 2 matchup when it was confirmed that Jaxson Dart would be out for the rest of the regular season.

With their hopeful franchise QB down for the remainder of the year, Jameis Winston is stepping up as the team's new starter. But the Giants needed to find a backup to upgrade the depth chart.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Giants have found their depth chart upgrade, as they're reportedly trading with the Minnesota Vikings for J.J. McCarthy. But why McCarthy? There are multiple good reasons why the Giants have made this move.

Why Giants are trading for J.J. McCarthy

"The Giants are trading for Vikings' former first-round QB JJ McCarthy, per me @AdamSchefter and @MikeGarafolo," Rapoport reports.

Adding McCarthy makes a lot of sense for the Giants, as Dart is out for the season, and they really needed to upgrade their QB room behind Winston.

Tom Pelissero of The Ringer is reporting the cost was only a 2027 fifth-round pick, so they were able to land a quarterback at a relatively cheap cost.

McCarthy struggled with the Vikings last season, after missing the entirety of his 2024 rookie year due to injury. But there are two things McCarthy brings to the Giants that make this deal worthwhile: control and upside.

As a 2024 first-rounder, McCarthy is under contract on his rookie deal for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, with a 2028 fifth-year option also strongly worth considering.

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Plus, McCarthy showed enough upside in college at Michigan to go in the first round to the Vikings. While he didn't live up to the hype, there's a chance he could figure things out after a change of scenery.

Taking a chance on McCarthy at a fifth-round cost is well worth it for the Giants. He'll be Winston's news backup and give the Giants someone young who they can try developing in 2026 and beyond.

Even if he doesn't perform well for the Giants, a fifth-round pick is not a lot of capital to give up to take a flier on someone like McCarthy.

So, why did the Giants trade for the Vikings' QB bust? McCarthy is young, affordable, was cheap to acquire, is under control, and has enough upside that he's worth getting excited about looking into the future.