Giants head coach John Harbaugh confirmed at a Wednesday press conference that the team is making a change at quarterback and starting J.J. McCarthy against the Texans on Sunday.
McCarthy will replace Jameis Winston, who started the last four games and helped the Giants to a 2-1-1 record. The one loss came against New Orleans last weekend and Winston was benched after throwing two interceptions. McCarthy led the Giants to 17 points in the fourth quarter of the 34-27 loss and the team will now see if he can produce at that level over a full game.
Harbaugh said the decision was based on “what gives us the best chance to play the best offense we can.” Harbaugh noted that unforeseen circumstances often crop up, but said that he does not plan to revisit the decision on a weekly basis
“Life is day-to-day, minute-to-minute,” Harbaugh said, via SNY. “There’s really no guarantees. I would never say that anything is permanent in football or life. That’s the plan going forward.”
McCarthy joined the Giants in a trade with the Vikings a few weeks ago, but Harbaugh feels he had the game plan down “pretty fully” last Sunday and that it will be more tailored to McCarthy’s direction now that the team has decided to make a change. If all goes well, it will remain that way for the rest of the year and McCarthy will consistently show the ability that made him a first-round pick in 2024.