Giants to Start JJ McCarthy vs Texans After Fourth-Quarter Rally

Oct 21

5 min read

Updated: 13 hours ago

Published Oct 21, 2026, 2:07 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Key points

The Giants plan to start JJ McCarthy against the Texans on Sunday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday.
McCarthy threw for 243 yards and led three fourth-quarter scoring drives in relief against the Saints.
Jameis Winston, who started the previous four games, returns to the backup role.

Update (Oct. 23, 2026): Emmanuel Acho's prediction for McCarthy's first start is covered in Emmanuel Acho Says Giants' JJ McCarthy Will 'Stink It Up' vs Texans.

The Giants plan to start JJ McCarthy at quarterback Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The decision ends Jameis Winston's four-game run as the starter and hands the offense to the quarterback New York acquired from Minnesota three weeks ago.

Fowler's report was shared by Big Blue Film Room on X on Wednesday, the Giants' first practice day of the week. As our post noted, McCarthy "was electric last week vs the Saints when he took over for Jameis Winston."

McCarthy entered the 34-27 loss to New Orleans with just under 12 minutes left and the Giants down 34-10. He threw for 243 yards, the second-most fourth-quarter passing yards by a non-starter in 25 years, according to ESPN.

We broke down his PFF numbers and the reaction to the outing in JJ McCarthy Led NFL QBs in Yards Per Attempt in Giants Relief Role.

How the Giants Reached the JJ McCarthy Decision

The question opened Sunday, when Winston was pulled after his second interception. He finished 14 of 26 for 152 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

On Monday, ESPN's Jordan Raanan said, "The expectation is that a decision will be made before they take the field," meaning Wednesday's practice. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added the same day: "One thing we know for sure: McCarthy's time is coming. Whether it's this week. Whether it's next week."

John Harbaugh kept his options open Monday. "We're working through that now, honing in on a decision," he said, and he made Winston's case: "He's helped us win games and did what he had to do to win games."

Harbaugh also noted that McCarthy "just got here a couple weeks ago." Asked whether the bye factored in, he said, "Yeah, I think it's all part of it, sure."

That fed a real debate. On Tuesday's Breaking Big Blue podcast, Raanan said his "gut feeling" was that Harbaugh would give Winston "one more opportunity to secure this job." By Wednesday, the Giants had gone the other way.

Why JJ McCarthy Gets the Giants' Start Now

According to ESPN, the Giants landed on McCarthy largely because of his potential. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Michigan.

The run game factored in as well. Giants running backs carried 14 times for 34 yards against the Saints, and McCarthy led the team with 26 rushing yards.

His mobility lets the staff restore more of the offense it built for Jaxson Dart, including zone reads and a moving pocket. We detailed that plan in JJ McCarthy Could Help Giants 'Bring Back' Offense Built for Dart.

"The elements that we're talking about with some of the read plays and some of the different things you do moving the quarterback around, those are definitely things that are part of the equation," Harbaugh said, per ESPN.

By the Numbers: JJ McCarthy vs. Jameis Winston

Stat	McCarthy	Winston
Week 6 passing yards	243	152
Week 6 TD-INT	1-1	1-2
2026 starts for Giants	0	4
Draft slot	No. 10 (2024)	No. 1 (2015)

Sources: ESPN and NFL.com.

JJ McCarthy's Extra Work With the Giants Receivers

McCarthy stayed on the field after Wednesday's practice to throw to Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported. "His reps with players like Nabers, Mooney and Fields have been very limited," as shared by Big Blue Film Room on X.

That gap is the issue this week. New York acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick, according to the Giants.com transaction tracker.

Nabers leads the group with 41 catches for 494 yards and two touchdowns, per Giants.com. Fields, a rookie taken No. 74 overall out of Notre Dame, has 12 catches for 165 yards, and Mooney, who played for Matt Nagy in Chicago, has eight for 109.

Duggan's report described extra throws after one practice, not a new routine. It did not say how many passes McCarthy threw or how long the session lasted.

The Risk in JJ McCarthy's First Giants Start

The caveat is the setting. McCarthy played from 24 points down against a defense protecting a lead, and he threw an interception on his first drive.

His longer track record is uneven. Over 12 career appearances, McCarthy has completed 57.2% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, per NFL.com. He has not started a game since Week 18 of last season.

Winston was steadier than his final afternoon suggested. He has 957 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions this season, and the Giants went 2-1-1 in his four starts.

Houston adds a hard test. The Texans ranked third in the NFL with 18 sacks through five games, according to ESPN, and since the start of last season McCarthy has completed 41.2% of his passes under pressure.

What Comes Next for the Giants at Quarterback

The 3-2-1 Giants lead the NFC East and visit Houston at 1 p.m. ET Sunday before their Week 8 bye.

The report did not say whether McCarthy keeps the job beyond Sunday, and the Giants have not called the move permanent.

Our Take: Starting JJ McCarthy Was an Easy Call for the Giants

For me, this was an easy decision. I've said since September that Jameis Winston is a great backup for three or four games, not a starter for three or four months.

JJ McCarthy isn't the future of this team, and he doesn't need to be eased along. I said early this month that he is the now, and it makes total sense to put him out there and see what he's got.

The part I'm most excited about is the run game. His mobility gives the staff more options, and I expect more RPOs and better running lanes for the backs.

Giants running backs ran 14 times for 34 yards against the Saints, so the offense needs that help.

Houston's pass rush is the real test, and his 41.2% completion rate under pressure is the number I'll watch. But this is the right call.

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