Giants Acquire Quarterback J.J. McCarthy from Vikings for 2027 Fifth-Round Pick

New York adds the former first-round pick after losing Jaxson Dart for the regular season, sending a 2027 fifth-round selection to Minnesota.

The Minnesota Vikings are trading quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, according to reports on Monday. Tom Pelissero relayed the news, citing The Ringer and Netflix Sports, and the in-season move delivers a former first-round draft pick to a Giants team suddenly in need of a starter.

That need opened when starter Jaxson Dart was ruled out for the rest of the regular season, a development that left New York searching for a new starting quarterback. Veteran Jameis Winston has been running the offense in the interim, and Pelissero's report cast McCarthy as a young addition to the Giants' quarterback room.

A former first-round draft selection, McCarthy saw his standing in Minnesota slip this season. Kyler Murray beat him out for the starting job, and he was subsequently listed at No. 3 on the depth chart, with Carson Wentz ahead of him at No. 2, before Monday's trade ended his tenure with the team.

His largest NFL workload came last season, when he made 10 starts for the Vikings. Minnesota went 6-4 in those games, with McCarthy completing 57.6 percent of his passes, throwing 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Injuries have tracked him closely as well. Across two full NFL seasons before this one, McCarthy has dealt with a torn meniscus, a high-ankle sprain, and a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, and the hand injury ended his year when it occurred late last season. The Yahoo Sports report suggested that timeline may help explain why he was not Minnesota's starter this season, and raised the broader question of whether he can stay healthy enough to sustain a starting role.

Winston's production since taking over frames the decision in New York. Starting Sunday with Dart unavailable, he guided the Giants past the Tennessee Titans 12-7, finishing 14 of 22 for 118 yards and no touchdowns — 8.4 yards per completion and 5.3 per attempt. The report noted the Giants did not need him to do much to win it.

One week before the Titans game, after Dart exited against the Los Angeles Rams, Winston entered in relief and completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with an interception in that outing.

The trade signals the franchise may not view Winston as its starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, even coming off the win over Tennessee. Minnesota, for its part, converts a quarterback who had slipped to No. 3 on its depth chart into a 2027 draft selection, with Pelissero pointing to added flexibility for the Vikings and a clean slate for McCarthy in New York.

Monday's initial reports did not address whether McCarthy will step straight into the starting lineup, how quickly he might move past Winston on the depth chart, or when he would first take the field for the Giants.