BREAKING: Giants acquire QB J.J. McCarthy from Vikings for 2027 fifth-round pick

The New York Giants have made a major move at quarterback, acquiring former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

The trade lands days after the Giants lost rookie starter Jaxson Dart for the season to a knee injury that required surgery, leaving the room thin behind veteran Jameis Winston. McCarthy gives New York another young arm with starting experience — he has 10 career starts and is still just 23 years old — as the team looks to solidify its quarterback situation for the stretch run.

For Minnesota, the deal clears cap and cash space while adding draft capital and puts a book note on a relationship that has soured since drafting the QB. By moving McCarthy now, the Vikings save more than $4.6 million in cash and cap space and pick up an unconditional fifth-round selection that, depending on how the Giants finish, could land in the top 150 of next year's draft.

The Giants' interest in McCarthy is not new. The team did extensive homework on the 2024 quarterback class and was known to like him coming out of Michigan, and the connection to head coach John Harbaugh — whose brother Jim coached McCarthy in college — helped smooth the fit. For McCarthy, it is a fresh start after a tenure in Minnesota that never fully took hold.

New York's quarterback room now features McCarthy alongside Winston and Jake Haener, who was signed to the active roster over the weekend as the backup for Sunday's game. Dart remains on injured reserve with the possibility of a postseason return if the Giants reach the playoffs.