Injuries hit East Rutherford hard early in the season, forcing the New York Giants to quickly bring in a replacement for Jaxson Dart. While many expected J.J. McCarthy might step in as the QB1, Jameis Winston held onto the starting job. Still, John Harbaugh made it clear that the former Minnesota Vikings quarterback was active against the Arizona Cardinals in case an opportunity arose to get him on the field.
“In case we wanted to put JJ [McCarthy] out there and run certain plays that we had prepared for him,” Harbaugh revealed via The New York Post. The G-Men weren’t taking any chances, and had the opportunity presented itself, McCarthy would have taken the field at MetLife Stadium.
“But to think that he was going to be the backup for the whole game was unrealistic. So we had Jake up, too, and that was our thinking. We just felt like we needed three guys for kind of the two roles,” the head coach also added.
Winston holds on as QB1
Winston gave New York the full “Jameis experience” in the Giants’ 36-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, delivering a stat line as chaotic as it was effective: 18 of 29 passes completed (62.1%) for 250 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions while taking 4 sacks.
JAMEIS WINSTON IS ABSOLUTELY BALLING. WHAT A THROW. #GIANTS VS. #CARDINALS… ABSOLUTE CINEMA 😭😭 https://t.co/QHzKU0HOed
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) October 4, 2026
Despite the mistakes, the win proved he can still deliver under pressure, and with newly acquired J.J. McCarthy looming in the background, Winston warned the Giants on QB changes by declaring he’s just starting to heat up and isn’t planning on giving up the starting job anytime soon.
Will Harbaugh use McCarthy in the near future?
Over their next three games, the New York Giants will travel to face the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Sunday, October 11, 2026, return home to host the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, October 18, 2026, and then head back on the road to battle the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Despite acquiring J.J. McCarthy in a blockbuster trade, John Harbaugh is unlikely to throw the young quarterback into action during this stretch, as Jameis Winston is coming off a productive and currently holds the starting job.
Unless Winston stumbles significantly or suffers an injury over these next three matchups, Harbaugh will almost certainly stick with his veteran under center while letting McCarthy learn the playbook from the sideline.
Key takeaways
- John Harbaugh activated J.J. McCarthy against Arizona to run specific prepared plays.
- Jameis Winston threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns in New York’s 36-24 victory.
- Dallas, New Orleans, and Houston comprise the Giants’ upcoming three-game schedule.
