The New York Giants are desperately trying to save their season after losing their starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the year, and that desperation showed itself on Monday, as New York sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for J.J. McCarthy.
With McCarthy being one of the most ridiculed quarterbacks in the league, the news of the trade immediately opened the door for jokes.
The Dallas Cowboys, who are seeking some get-back with New York after a Week 1 loss, would love to join in on the laughs. The team should be patient, though, because the Giants just set themselves up for an awkward situation, regardless of how the McCarthy trade turns out.
Obviously, if McCarthy doesn’t play well in the Big Apple, the Giants will struggle, and Dallas will be able to take advantage of that.
However, what if McCarthy can tap into the potential that made him a top-10 pick? It would be tough for the Cowboys to see New York emerge as a good team, but Dallas would be able to relish the sight of their rival putting themselves in an awkward situation with Dart and McCarthy.
The Giants' J.J. McCarthy trade could backfire in more ways than one
McCarthy was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 Draft by the Vikings, and it obviously didn’t work out since they traded him for a fifth-round pick just two years later.
The Michigan product only started 10 games in Minnesota, and he completed 57.6% of his passes for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while also adding 181 yards on the ground and four additional touchdowns. He had a 6-4 record, but that wasn’t enough to keep Kyler Murray from taking his job.
Now, McCarthy has another chance to establish himself as a starter in the NFL. As the Cowboys unfortunately know, New York has a lot of promising young talent, and there’s a chance that McCarthy catches on in the new environment.
While his NFL career hasn’t gone the way he hoped, he still possesses a talent level that could make things intriguing if he starts to put things together.
If that happens, the Giants will find themselves in a situation where they have to choose between McCarthy and Dart. McCarthy is only 23 years old, and this is just his third year in the NFL. Dart is also 23, but he’s in his second season. Dart has already put together a season that convinced New York he is the quarterback of the future, but McCarthy now has the opportunity to do the same.
If the recently acquired McCarthy does that, the Giants will face an unwelcome decision. They would either have to give up on a quarterback that they selected in the first round, who showed flashes that he could be the future, or the team would have to turn its back on a quarterback who would be coming off a good season in this scenario.
That’s a tough spot to be in, with no clear right decision. If it gets to that point, the Cowboys would definitely be looking on, hoping New York picks the wrong guy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google