J.J. McCarthy might be moving one seat closer to game-day action.
The New York Giants’ newest quarterback spent his first Sunday with the team technically active for their 36-24 Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals, but only as the emergency third-stringer behind Jameis Winston and Jake Haener.
Head coach John Harbaugh made it clear afterward that McCarthy wasn’t particularly close to getting into the game, even with Winston bringing the full rollercoaster experience with the good (three touchdown passes), the bad (two interceptions), and the Jameis (everything else).
Big Blue's Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders could be different. Harbaugh was asked Monday if McCarthy was going to be the backup behind Winston, and for the first time since New York made the move to bring in the former No. 10 overall pick, a McCarthy sighting might actually be on the table.
"I think that's a possibility. We'll see how it goes during the week, but that's definitely on the table."Harbs on JJ McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy could be more than Jameis Winston insurance in Week 5
Harbs isn't typically a mince-words guy. If he says it's definitely on the table, there's a good chance it's happening. McCarthy moving into the QB2 spot wouldn't be all that surprising after spending his first week on the team getting a crash course in offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s offense.
The G-Men acquired the 23-year-old from the Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round pick just days before their Week 4 game against the Cardinals, so expecting him to immediately leap Haener and become the team's primary backup would’ve been asking a lot.
Another full week of practice (and the realization that they traded draft capital for him) changes things.
Moving McCarthy to QB2 wouldn’t necessarily guarantee his Giants debut comes against the Commies. Famous Jameis has won both of his starts since replacing Jaxson Dart and finally got the offense back into the end zone three times in Week 4. As long as New York keeps winning, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
However, Winston’s two interceptions on Sunday were a pretty good reminder of why the Giants might want McCarthy ready sooner rather than later.
Being the emergency QB3 essentially guaranteed McCarthy wasn’t sniffing a snap unless everything went to you-know-what. As the actual backup, Harbaugh and Co. would have the option to work him into certain packages or turn to him if they needed to.
The 63-year-old acknowledged after Sunday’s win that the Giants had prepared a few plays for McCarthy against Arizona, although they never got close to using them. His mobility and athleticism give Nagy something Winston can’t offer and more closely resemble what the offense was built around with Dart.
McCarthy could still spend all of next Sunday watching from the sideline with a clipboard in his hand, and that’s probably the most likely outcome. But if Harbaugh makes him QB2, all eyes will be on whether Harbs has something special planned for No. 18 (double Nine).
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