Giants make J.J. McCarthy the lone backup to Jameis Winston for Commanders game

The New York Giants will dress J.J. McCarthy as the No. 2 quarterback for the first time on Sunday, October 11, making the former Minnesota Vikings starter the only backup to Jameis Winston for the 1 p.m. EDT division game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium.

The decision is the clearest sign yet of how New York plans to use the quarterback it traded for two weeks ago. Mike Garafolo reported that the Giants are carrying only two active passers and that the club had weighed several options before settling on McCarthy as the second quarterback.

The #Giants opt to go with 2 active QBs and J.J. McCarthy as the primary backup to Jameis Winston today. https://t.co/swTOAMj1Ba

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 11, 2026

Jake Haener, who served as the backup in the Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals without taking a snap, is among the inactives. Garafolo added that the open question is whether the coaching staff will give McCarthy a small set of designed plays or keep him on the sideline unless Winston is hurt. The team has not addressed that publicly.

How the Giants got here

The quarterback room was rebuilt after Jaxson Dart went down on the opening drive of the Week 2 Monday night loss to the Los Angeles Rams, a 28-6 defeat at SoFi Stadium. Dart was hit by two Rams defenders and the club later announced that the knee injury would end his regular season. Head coach John Harbaugh named Winston the starter and said the offense would be shaped around the veteran’s strengths.

Winston has rewarded that faith with two straight victories, over the Tennessee Titans and the Cardinals. A week after Dart’s injury, on September 28, New York sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Vikings for McCarthy, with Harbaugh making clear at the time that Winston would remain the starter.

McCarthy, 23, was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He went 6-4 in 10 career games for Minnesota, throwing for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, before the Vikings moved on. He has not yet played a down for New York.

Who else is missing

The Giants are also without safety Jason Pinnock, who is in the concussion protocol, and running back Devin Singletary. Washington, meanwhile, has quarterback Jayden Daniels back from his elbow injury and receiver Terry McLaurin active despite a hamstring problem, while Stefon Diggs is inactive. Every designation is on the injury report page.

What comes next

Follow the game in the Giants-Commanders Game Center. New York hosts the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m. EDT, while Washington visits the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, October 19. More on the club is on the Giants team page.