New York Giants Emerge as Potential J.J. McCarthy Trade Suitor

September 23, 2026

The New York Giants dropped to 1-1 on the young 2026 NFL season on Monday Night Football with a blowout loss against the Los Angeles Rams. When all was said and done, John Harbaugh’s team lost the game by a final score of 28-6.

While the loss was disappointing enough, the Giants were hit with more bad news on Tuesday.

Jaxson Dart went down with an injury early in the first quarter. Following the injury, there was initial optimism that he might have avoided a serious injury. Unfortunately, those hopes have come crashing down.

According to a report from longtime NFL insider Adam Schefter, Dart has suffered a serious injury. There is a good chance that his season has come to an end in Week 2.

“Breaking: Further testing today revealed Giants QB Jaxson Dart’s knee injury is worse than initially thought, and the team and Dart now are facing the possibility of season-ending knee surgery, sources tell ESPN,” Schefter reported. “Of all the QB injuries suffered in Week 2, Dart’s is turning out to easily be the most significant.”

Now that the news has come out about the severity of Dart’s injury, could New York consider making a trade to acquire another quarterback? Jameis Winston completed just 11 of his 27 passes for 111 yards, no touchdowns, and one interceptions after coming into the game. Those numbers show a clear need for the Giants under center.

Nov 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Gary Myers, a longtime writer covering the New York franchise, believes that the Giants should pursue a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for J.J. McCarthy. He gave a length explanation for his belief.

“If Jaxson Dart is done for the year, I think the Giants should trade for Vikings third-string QB J.J. McCarthy. GM Joe Schoen considered him w/6th overall pick in 2024 (they took Malik Nabers). McCarthy helped Jim Harbaugh win national championship in 2023 and he loves McCarthy. John and Jim often sign players with a history with each other. Probably would cost only mid-round pick and Giants could run same RPO offense they were using with Dart that is not suited to Jameis Winston,” Myers wrote.

“If McCarthy plays well for Giants, can build up his value to trade him after season or supplant Winston as Dart’s backup. Low-risk move. McCarthy has been huge disappointment in Minnesota but he’s only 23 years old, a few months older than Dart.”

McCarthy would be an intriguing option for New York. He had a rough first season as a starter in the NFL last years with the Vikings. In 10 games played, he completed 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while also running for 181 yards and four more scores.

At 23 years old, McCarthy hasn’t been given a fair shot just yet. After being replaced as the starter in Minnesota by Kyler Murray, a trade to the Giants would be a breath of fresh air.

Whether or not New York has interest in a trade for a quarterback like McCarthy remains to be seen. Harbaugh could decide to give Winston another week to prove himself. Or, the Giants could opt to pursue a trade for a new signal caller, with McCarthy being one of the best potentially available options.