J.J. McCarthy hasn't lived up to his pre-draft expectations. The former college football national champion flamed out with the Minnesota Vikings, causing them to move on from him after less than a full season as a starter.
Now, the New York Giants are giving him a chance to turn things around. One specific aspect of his game has a former teammate of his believing that he can get the job done.
During an appearance on "Airing it Out," Adam Thielen, who played with McCarthy in Minnesota, had some praise for the quarterback's ability to throw the ball downfield.
""He throws the best deep ball that I've seen in a long time. It's incredible.""Adam Thielen on J.J. McCarthy
Thielen apparently enjoyed playing with McCarthy and said, "He's a gamer. Everyone loves him."
If the Giants can rally around McCarthy and his deep ball like Thielen seems ready to, they might just be able to hold onto the top spot in the NFC East.
New York Giants have to lean into the chaos of J.J. McCarthy
For those Giants fans who didn't watch McCarthy with the Vikings, strap in. He's capable of making some of the heroic plays that he showed in Big Blue's comeback against the New Orleans Saints, but he's also bound to make some head-scratching mistakes.
First, let's focus on the positives. McCarthy does have the arm talent to succeed in the NFL. Even after one game with the Giants, his teammates have taken notice of his ability to hit any spot on the field.
Malik Nabers gave his immediate thoughts on McCarthy after practice this week, saying, "Very good arm talent, throws a great ball.
While the eye test says that McCarthy has the arm to push the ball downfield, the stats don't quite back it up. In 2025, he ranked 37th out of 50 quarterbacks in EPA per play on passes 20 or more yards downfield. On those throws, he ranked 34th in on-target rate and 43rd in completion rate and threw five interceptions.
Still, he ranked ninth in the NFL in the percentage of his throws that went 20+ yards downfield.
Translation: McCarthy is going to heave up some deep balls, and the Giants will just have to live with the results.
J.J. McCarthy can give Giants something Jameis Winston never could
Even if his deep passes are going to lead to some mistakes, McCarthy's arm strength gives him access to throws that Jameis Winston couldn't make. Once upon a time, Winston had a cannon for an arm, but he seems to have lost some of that zip as he nears the end of his career.
The 32-year-old has often left passes underthrown this season, leading to stalled Giants drives. While McCarthy's processing and command of the offense might not match Winston's, his physical tools are superior.
Beyond the arm strength, McCarthy's athleticism opens up a portion of the playbook that Winston couldn't access. The Giants can get back to some of the quarterback run game that they were using with Jaxson Dart before his injury.
McCarthy's physicality makes the decision to ride with him instead of Winston obvious for the G-Men.
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