Six weeks into the season, the New York Giants might just have themselves a good old-fashioned quarterback controversy. That's not necessarily something I thought I'd write six weeks ago, but welcome to 2026, folks.
Big Blue’s 34-27 loss to the previously 1-4 New Orleans Saints was an absolute disaster for most of the afternoon. Jameis Winston threw two interceptions, the Saints scored 34 unanswered points, and the G-Men went from leading 10-0 late in the second quarter to trailing 34-10 in the fourth.
Quite the accomplishment.
Then Winston was benched, and J.J. McCarthy came into the game and turned everything around. The 23-year-old nearly pulled off a bonkers-level comeback, throwing for 243 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a little over 11 minutes of action. And now head coach John Harbaugh has a decision to make that he's already dreading.
John Harbaugh isn’t ready to name Giants’ Week 7 starting quarterback
Asked after Sunday’s loss who would start against the Houston Texans next week, Harbs wanted absolutely nothing to do with the question. He reminded reporters that the game had ended all of 10 minutes earlier and wasn’t about to entertain any quarterback controversy talk just yet:
“I can’t answer that right now," Harbs said. "It’s not up for conversation right now. Those things will be decided not 10 minutes after the game.”
Fair enough. But considering Winston finished 14-of-26 for 152 yards, one touchdown, and two picks before getting benched, while McCarthy nearly dragged the Giants back from a 24-point deficit in one quarter, I’m not sure why this should be such a difficult decision for the coaching staff.
Harbaugh made it clear he doesn’t have a problem with Winston and credited both quarterbacks for making plays. He also said McCarthy played “a heck of a game,” which is pretty encouraging for a 23-year-old who did next to nothing in five snaps last week.
And while McCarthy wasn’t close to perfect, the difference in how the offense looked with him under center was impossible to ignore. His mobility gives offensive coordinator Matt Nagy more to work with, especially considering the offense was originally built around Jaxson Dart’s athleticism before his season-ending knee injury.
I’ve already floated the idea of McCarthy making his first start in Week 9 after their bye, but after Sunday, I’m not sure waiting that long makes any sense at all.
The Giants are 3-2-1 and still atop the NFC East, but we’ve seen enough of the Jameis Winston Experience to know what we’re getting. McCarthy deserves a chance to show what he can do, and with Houston coming up before the bye, there’s no reason to keep putting it off. Harby might not be ready to make a QB change 10 minutes after the game, but I am.
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