NY Giants QB J.J. McCarthy to start Week 7 against Houston Texans
J.J. McCarthy will start at quarterback for the New York Giants in Week 7 against the Houston Texans, following a strong relief appearance against the New Orleans Saints. Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed the directional change after Jameis Winston started the previous four games.
Why did John Harbaugh bench Jameis Winston for J.J. McCarthy?
The switch follows a 34-27 loss to New Orleans where the Giants allowed 34 unanswered points after building an early double-digit lead. Winston finished the game completing 14 of 26 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. Over four starts following Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury in Week 2, Winston compiled a 2-1-1 record.
Trailing by 24 points with 11:25 remaining, McCarthy entered the game for his first action since being acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings just 20 days earlier. Despite throwing an interception on his opening drive, he directed three scoring runs to mount a 17-point surge in five minutes. The comeback fell short on a fourth-down stop from the Saints 14-yard line.
How did J.J. McCarthy perform in his New York debut?
McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception against New Orleans. His 243 passing yards tied Eli Manning’s mark from a 2012 game against Tampa Bay. McCarthy also paced the team in rushing yards, highlighted by a 28-yard scramble to ignite the final possession.
McCarthy offers mobility to help alleviate the high sack numbers plaguing the offense, as Winston was sacked 15 times over his last five appearances. Harbaugh stated that while certain play types will lean further into McCarthy’s specific skill set compared to Winston’s, the core offensive concepts and blocking schemes remain unchanged for the rest of the roster.
The Giants plan to start J.J. McCarthy at quarterback this week against the Texans, per @JFowlerESPN pic.twitter.com/bEW3zU7OK5
— https://x.com/SNYGiants/status/2112938357730705535
What is J.J. McCarthy’s background in the NFL?
Selected 10th overall by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan, McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus. He returned in 2025 to start 10 games, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions alongside 181 rushing yards and four scores. After Minnesota signed Kyler Murray in the offseason, McCarthy served as the team’s third-string quarterback before the Giants traded a 2027 fifth-round draft pick to acquire him on September 28, 2026.
McCarthy has accumulated 1,875 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions across 12 career appearances. He enters Week 7 with a career 6-4 record as a starter, having won his final four starts with Minnesota, culminating in a 16-3 win over the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 regular-season finale.
What awaits the Giants against the Houston Texans in Week 7?
Sunday’s matchup at Houston features a duel between McCarthy and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The game marks a return to Reliant Stadium for McCarthy, who previously won a national championship there with Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, brother of Giants coach John Harbaugh.
The Giants hold a 3-2-1 record heading into the contest, sitting ahead in the NFC East before their scheduled bye week in Week 8. Following the game against New Orleans, the team also released veteran running back Najee Harris, who recorded four carries for two yards.
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