J.J. McCarthy has been the New York Giants' QB1 for fewer than five full quarters of play. In that span he's outscored opponents 44-21.
It's a remarkable turnaround from a player who'd been one of the least accurate quarterbacks of the last decade when he started 10 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season. McCarthy lost his QB1 role in Minnesota at the dawn of the preseason, failed to beat out Carson Wentz for backup duties and, about 2.5 years after being drafted with a top 10 selection, was dealt to the needy Giants for the low cost of a fifth-round pick.
The sample size is miniscule -- much smaller than the tiny 10-game, 243-pass audition he failed in Minneapolis last winter. But, importantly, it's not a function of checkdown passes and run-after-catch statistical markup. When he rocked the New Orleans Saints after being thrown into what looked like garbage time, you could dismiss his 243-yard performance as a function of a defense that was unprepared for him. Even if it resulted in some beautiful "[expletive] it, we ball" throws.
J.J. finds Isaiah Likely 🙌
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 18, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/0fLSL9TMTV
Week 7 presented more data behind the hypothesis "J.J. McCarthy, freed of an offense with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as his top two targets, can somehow emerge as a valid starting NFL quarterback." He threw for 252 yards on 28 attempts. 196 of those yards --78 percent! -- came on throws more than 10 yards downfield, where he was remarkably efficient.
Per SIS, McCarthy only completed 45.4 percent of such throws with the Vikings last season. This year -- again, in a tiny sample size -- he's 14 of 20 (70 percent). That's not sustainable, but it's impressive nonetheless.
He's been able to get Malik Nabers back to his All-Pro potential. He's maximized unheralded parts of the Giants' depth chart (Charlie Jones in Week 6, Thomas Fidone Sunday). He pushed Malachi Fields to the best game of the rookie third round pick's season to date in a five-target, four-catch, 84-yard performance.
J.J. DEEP to LEEK!!
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 25, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/djyIdZteKI
The third-year quarterback has been handed a simple playbook that uses play action and shotgun -- as well as a run game that got solid returns from three different tailbacks, including a rejuvenated Cam Skattebo -- to create space and cycle through his reads. That allows him to exploit one-on-one matchups. But there are cracks that remain from those Minnesota days. Even when he's successful downfield he's leaving yards on the table with throws that are catchable but not hitting his guys in stride.
For example, this shouldn't have just been Fidone's first NFL catch, but also his first NFL touchdown.
Thomas Fidone WIDE OPEN 🔥#NationalTightEndsDay
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 25, 2026
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/iJYPOQbKfC
The good news is these passes remain viable. The bad news is it suggests the accuracy issues that plagued him in purple haven't magically been cured. McCarthy's 66.5 percent on target rate was the second-lowest from a qualified starting quarterback since Pro Football Reference began tracking the stat in 2018 -- better than only Anthony Richardson, who has been so bad the Indianapolis Colts aren't even thinking about starting him over the ghost of Daniel Jones in what's shaping up to be another lost season. So while he's been able to show off some impressive sideline throws:
J.J. zips it into Malachi Fields and he does the rest.
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
NYGvsHOU on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/UifGLgnC8b
He's not yet consistent enough to maximize those opportunities.
Another great throw from JJ and Malachi Fields connects -- I love how Fields is getting so involved pic.twitter.com/1QqKSx8pjZ
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) October 25, 2026
On the other hand, after throwing an interception on his first drive last week and nearly having another (it was reversed on review), McCarthy came away with zero turnovers in Week 7. That came despite recording a dozen interceptions and six fumbles (two lost) in 10 games as a Viking. He was able to protect the ball without giving up the downfield targets that made him so appealing in his first major action in New York.
The Texans are not the monument to havoc they once were. Houston fielded the league's best passing defense and forced the third-most interceptions in the NFL last fall. This year they rank 21st in both categories. Still, they'd forced bad passers like Cam Ward and Daniel Jones into baffling decisions and backbreaking turnovers earlier this season. McCarthy didn't fall victim to that.
Thus, hope persists. McCarthy may be found money, if not as the team's future starter then as a viable high-value backup that could force some interesting discussions with Jaxson Dart down the line. And if he regresses -- which, again, will happen at some rate, we just don't know how far yet -- he was effectively free. Adding him has already brought an extra win to the Giants' ledger, which could be the difference between winning a disheveled NFC East or staying home for the postseason. That alone is a big deal.
The question now is whether McCarthy can keep this up long enough to change his reputation and, thus, his future.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Can J.J. McCarthy really be the Giants franchise quarterback?