JJ McCarthy 'Never Played This Well' Last Year, Mike Francesa Says

19 hours ago

3 min read

Updated: 13 hours ago

Published Oct 30, 2026, 4:08 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Key points

Mike Francesa said people are "getting way ahead of themselves" with JJ McCarthy after three games with the Giants.
McCarthy is averaging 10.1 yards per attempt with a 95.2 passer rating in 2026, up from 6.7 and 72.6 with Minnesota in 2025.
McCarthy won his final four starts last season, and the Giants return from their bye Nov. 8 at Philadelphia.

Mike Francesa isn't buying the JJ McCarthy hype yet. The longtime New York radio host thinks the excitement around the Giants quarterback is moving too fast.

"I think people are getting way ahead of themselves with McCarthy," Francesa said on the Mike Francesa Podcast, as we shared on X Friday. "I watched him last year. He never played this well."

McCarthy has been efficient in limited work since the Giants acquired him from Minnesota for a 2027 fifth-round pick in late September.

The sample is small. McCarthy relieved Jameis Winston in the Week 6 loss to New Orleans, then won his first Giants start, 27-21 in overtime at Houston.

Is Francesa Right About Last Season?

On the full-season numbers, he has a point. McCarthy started 10 games for the Vikings in 2025 and went 6-4, per Giants.com. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

His 72.6 passer rating and 6.7 yards per attempt sit well below his New York numbers, per ESPN.

That season had two halves. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 and missed five games, the Vikings noted. He then lost three straight starts in November and threw six interceptions in that stretch.

He finished strong. McCarthy won his last four starts, going 54 of 84 for 703 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, per ESPN's game log.

By the Numbers: JJ McCarthy in 2025 vs. 2026

Stretch	Comp-Att / Yards	TD-INT / Y/A
2025 season (MIN)	140-243 / 1,632	11-12 / 6.7
2025 last 4 starts	54-84 / 703	5-2 / 8.4
2026 so far (NYG)	31-49 / 495	1-1 / 10.1
Week 7 at Houston	20-28 / 252	0-0 / 9.0

Sources: ESPN stats and ESPN game logs, as of Oct. 30, 2026. Passing touchdowns only.

What the Giants Have Seen So Far

McCarthy went 11 of 21 for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the 34-27 loss to the Saints, per ESPN.

At Houston, he went 20 of 28 for 252 yards without an interception. PFF credited him with a 10.3% big-time throw rate, the second-highest mark among Week 7 quarterbacks.

Giants coaches also came away impressed by how calm and mature he looked in that first start.

Francesa's caution isn't unreasonable, though. It's 49 passes. The next chance to add to that comes Nov. 8 at Philadelphia.

Our Take: McCarthy Was Better Late Last Year Than People Remember

I get the caution, but I don't agree that McCarthy never played like this. In September, I pointed to his last four games of 2025 as the reason he was worth a flyer. He had seven total touchdowns, two interceptions and four wins.

It was a terrible start to his season, and I won't pretend otherwise. He finished strong.

That finish got buried. A meme unfairly wrecked his reputation, and people ignored how good he was down the stretch.

Some people told me McCarthy had no upside and wasn't worth a pick. Through three games, he's averaging 10.1 yards per attempt.

Francesa is right that it's early, and one start doesn't settle anything. I still think the Giants have themselves a quarterback.

Watch: Mike Francesa says people are getting way ahead of themselves with JJ McCarthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGoN_MZAmI

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