J.J. McCarthy's Usage Explained by Giants' John Harbaugh, Teases Expanded Role for QB

After making his New York Giants' debut in Sunday's tie with the Washington Commanders, J.J. McCarthy could start to get more playing time going forward as head coach John Harbaugh evaluates ways to boost the offense.

Harbaugh told reporters during his weekly press conference that using McCarthy as a "change of pace" against the Commanders could lead to more opportunities for him in ways that don't necessarily require him to play every snap:

"The benefits of it? It's a change of pace. What you saw is probably not all we have for him right now. Whether or not he's out there or not will be determined based on whatever happens. But we'll see if it's something that can help us. One thing about it, to me, it's like, what's the benefit of not doing everything you can to use all the guys you have? We're always going to be searching for opportunities to use our players, give them an opportunity to help us win games. I think we'd be negligent if we didn't try to do that."

The Giants acquired McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, from the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 28. New York only had to give up a fifth-round selection in the 2027 draft in the deal.

McCarthy played five snaps against the Commanders. He ran for two yards on two carries and two other plays were negated by penalties. It was his first regular-season appearance since Week 18 with the Vikings in 2025.

After Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, the Giants were in a tough spot at quarterback. Jameis Winston is a capable backup, but his volatility also makes him hard to rely on week after week.

McCarthy's lone season as a starter with the Vikings in 2025 didn't inspire much confidence in his long-term outlook, but he is only 23 with just 10 games of NFL experience under his belt coming into this year.

The Giants lead the NFC East with a 3-1-1 record, though two of those wins are over arguably the two worst teams in the NFL — Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.

Their next two games going into the bye are against the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans. Those matchups could determine their path forward and how much playing time McCarthy might see when they come out of their bye in Week 8.