Giants head coach John Harbaugh announced Wednesday that J.J. McCarthy will start at quarterback against the Houston Texans in Week 7, replacing Jameis Winston as the New York Giants starting quarterback. The move comes after McCarthy led a fourth-quarter comeback attempt in a 34-27 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
Harbaugh resisted an immediate change on Monday, saying the quarterback situation was “not even up for discussion or conversation right now.” By Wednesday, he confirmed McCarthy as the starter.
The Main Development
Winston took over as the Giants’ starter after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He led New York to a 2-0-1 record in his first three starts, enough to hold the NFC East lead at the time.
The Saints game on Sunday, Oct. 18, changed the calculus. New York lost 34-27, and Harbaugh pulled Winston early in the fourth quarter with the team trailing by 24 points after Winston threw two interceptions. McCarthy entered and directed three scoring drives that pulled the Giants back into contention before his fourth-down pass to the end zone fell incomplete, ending the rally. He finished 11 of 21 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“He’s got the game plan down,” Harbaugh said of McCarthy. “I think he had it down last week pretty fully, even more so this week. It has been tailored a little more toward his direction probably, but he’ll be ready to go.”
Harbaugh also credited Winston for his stretch as starter. “I thought Jameis has done a tremendous job, won us games, played well,” Harbaugh said. “As we go forward here, this is going to be our direction. We think it gives us some good options on offense.”
What It Means
Harbaugh indicated the switch is not a short leash arrangement. The Giants plan to keep McCarthy as their starter for the rest of the season rather than reassess the job on a week-to-week basis, though Harbaugh left room for change. “I would never say that anything is permanent in football or life,” he said.
“(But) that’s the plan going forward.” McCarthy’s path to the job has been unconventional. The Giants acquired him on Sept. 28 after Dart’s injury left the roster without its original starter.
Before the trade, McCarthy had been with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was demoted to third string after losing a starting competition to Kyler Murray over the summer. He was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Everything about this place, it feels very fitting for me,” McCarthy said Wednesday.
Context For Sunday’s Matchup
McCarthy faces a Texans defense that has not matched its 2025 form, when Houston allowed the fewest yards per game in the NFL. After allowing more points than any AFC team through four weeks this season, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans took back play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Matt Burke.
What’s Next
McCarthy makes his first start for the Giants on Sunday against the Texans in Houston.
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