The 3-2-1 Giants have made a significant quarterback change ahead of their matchup against the Houston Texans, handing the starting role to J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy arrived in New York via a trade with the Minnesota Vikings less than a month ago and now becomes the third former first-round draft pick to start a game for the franchise this season.
This milestone places the Giants in rare company. They are only the third team since the AFL-NFL merger to start three different former first-round quarterbacks in a single season, matching the feat accomplished by the 2011 Oakland Raiders with Carson Palmer, Jason Campbell, and Kyle Boller, and the 1984 Chicago Bears with Jim McMahon, Steve Fuller, and Greg Landry.
McCarthy earns the nod over Jameis Winston after providing a massive spark off the bench in the fourth quarter of the Giants’ Week 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints, during which he threw for 243 yards. The former Michigan quarterback now carries a four-game winning streak into his upcoming start.
The matchup features a notable collegiate reunion as McCarthy squares off against former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud has guided the Texans to back-to-back wins as Houston looks to avoid starting a season 0-4 at home for the first time in franchise history.
A victory for McCarthy in Houston would immediately establish him as a central figure for the team and begin shifting the historical narrative surrounding high-profile quarterbacks in the New York market who struggled initially before finding success elsewhere.
