Giants HC says J.J. McCarthy will serve as Jameis Winston's backup

The rocky relationship between the Minnesota Vikings and J.J. McCarthy came to an end yesterday, as the former 10th overall pick was traded to the New York Giants. The belief after the news broke was that McCarthy would have an early shot at taking over the starting job, but according to John Harbaugh, he’s going to be the backup’s backup in the Big Apple.

While speaking to the media following the trade, Harbaugh stated that Jameis Winston is going to lead the Giants indefinitely and McCarthy will be the backup:

Harbaugh says McCarthy will be QB2 or 3 vs. the #AZCardinals “All the other conversation isn’t going to help us beat the Cardinals. So it’s irrelevant. Jameis will be the starter for as long as I can see into the future.” https://t.co/JbNx2FiaQI

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 28, 2026

Harbaugh says McCarthy will be QB2 or 3 vs. the #AZCardinals “All the other conversation isn’t going to help us beat the Cardinals. So it’s irrelevant. Jameis will be the starter for as long as I can see into the future.”

Vikings fans are divided on the trade, but this is a fact you can’t deny: getting a fifth-round pick from a team that is going to have that player in the same role as he was on your team is a win. McCarthy is the backup to the backup and could even serve as the QB3; what is there to complain about?

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Giants HC says J.J. McCarthy will serve as Jameis Winston’s backup