New York Giants News and Rumors: JJ McCarthy to Start, Paulson Adebo Returns, Jonathan Taylor Trade Talk
Updated: 9 minutes ago
Published Oct 21, 2026, 10:38 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi
Wednesday's Giants news settled the quarterback question: JJ McCarthy will start Sunday at Houston, ending Jameis Winston's four-game run, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The day also put a high-priced cornerback back on the practice field and sharpened the backfield debate before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Here is every story Big Blue Film Room published on Oct. 21, 2026, most important first.
The Giants plan to start JJ McCarthy against the Houston Texans on Sunday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday, ending Jameis Winston's four-game run as the starter. McCarthy entered the 34-27 loss to New Orleans with the Giants down 34-10 and threw for 243 yards, the second-most fourth-quarter passing yards by a non-starter in 25 years, per ESPN. The call came a day after ESPN's Jordan Raanan said his "gut feeling" was that Winston would get "one more opportunity to secure this job."
According to ESPN, the Giants chose McCarthy largely for his potential, and his mobility lets the staff restore more of the offense built for Jaxson Dart. After Wednesday's practice, he stayed on the field to throw to Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported. The caveat is his record: 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 12 career appearances, per NFL.com. Houston ranked third in the NFL with 18 sacks through five games, according to ESPN.
Paulson Adebo returned to the Giants' practice field Wednesday, his first work since a knee injury sidelined him after the season opener. The team opened his practice window, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported, which starts a 21-day clock for New York to activate him. Adebo has been on injured reserve since Sept. 18, according to the team's transaction log, and has appeared in one game this season.
The timing matters. Starting cornerback Greg Newsome II left the Saints game with a concussion, and rookie Colton Hood was inactive with one. Adebo brings 63 career starts and 11 career interceptions, per Giants.com, and signed a three-year deal worth up to $54 million in March 2025. The caveat is durability: his 2024 season ended after seven games with a broken femur, according to ESPN. Duggan did not say whether Adebo is in line to play Sunday.
Former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said on the Talkin' Ball podcast that New York should pursue Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. "If you can get Jonathan Taylor, you do it in a heartbeat," he said, adding, "You have a chance to win the NFC East." Martindale ran the Giants' defense in 2022 and 2023 after four seasons as John Harbaugh's defensive coordinator in Baltimore.
Taylor ran for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025, according to ESPN, and has 492 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The Colts fell to 2-4 and fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday. The cost is real: Taylor signed a two-year, $44 million extension in August, and his 4.0 yards per carry is down from 4.9 last season. Martindale offered an opinion, not a report of talks, and no outlet has reported that the Giants have asked about Taylor.
ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote in his Week 7 column that "it wouldn't be shocking to see them add someone from the outside or give Tyrone Tracy Jr. a bigger chance." He added that the new coaching staff "has clearly soured on Cam Skattebo," and the Giants released Najee Harris on Tuesday.
Tracy made the most of his chances against New Orleans, scoring on a 17-yard catch-and-run and a five-yard run, his first touchdowns of the season, according to Giants.com. He has 1,619 rushing yards over three Giants seasons after leading the team with 192 carries as a rookie in 2024. Graziano did not report talks with any team, though he noted a team trading for Taylor now would owe about $5.3 million for the rest of 2026. The caveat is the sample: Tracy is averaging 3.1 yards per carry on 13 carries this season.
McCarthy's arm drew another endorsement Wednesday. Adam Thielen, his Vikings teammate for the first three months of 2025, said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, "He throws the best deep ball that I've seen in a long time... it is incredible." Our Week 6 breakdown, now updated with Thielen's comments, shows why: McCarthy went 3 of 4 for 119 yards and a touchdown on throws of 20 or more yards against the Saints, according to ESPN.
He also led every NFL quarterback in Week 6 with 11.6 yards per attempt, per PFF, and posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating on those deep throws. The caveat is the setting: he threw 21 passes against a defense protecting a 24-point lead. In 10 starts for Minnesota in 2025, he threw 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, per Giants.com and NFL.com. Sunday at Houston is the first full game to judge whether the deep shots come with fewer turnovers.
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