Two years ago, the New York Giants passed on a potential franchise quarterback with top-ten draft capital. They picked a receiver instead. Now, J.J. McCarthy is the starter, and Chris Mara admits the organization got it wrong on the player’s mindset. The senior vice president of player personnel told The Post this week that the team once had major doubts about McCarthy’s maturity level.
Mara explained the original hesitation clearly. “We had him rated very high from a skill set. … We weren’t quite sure about the maturity level, but we loved his skill set,” Mara said, according to the New York Post. The Giants watched him for three years. They saw a player who won a national title at Michigan, then struggled with injuries and inconsistency in Minnesota. But the person they see now is not the same one they passed on.
A Different Person Off the Field
Mara says the change goes deeper than arm strength or footwork. He points to life events that forced the young quarterback to grow up fast. McCarthy married his longtime girlfriend in April and welcomed a son in September 2025. These are not small steps for a 23-year-old.
“He showed the ability to win, the ability to lead. Seeing him three years later, this is a completely different-looking person for me,” Mara said. The Giants traded a fifth-round pick to get him after Jaxson Dart got hurt. That move looked risky at first. Now, with McCarthy posting a 95.2 passer rating and a 63.3 completion percentage, the trade looks like a steal. The team won 27-21 in their last game, with McCarthy leading the effort.
The Warning About Joe Milton
McCarthy knows exactly what he faces on Sunday. His next opponent is Joe Milton III, a former Michigan teammate with a cannon for an arm. “Oh my God. There’s no way I’m gonna play here,” McCarthy said when he first watched Milton throw in practice. He remembers seeing Milton rip it 85 yards on a rope.
That fear might be the Giants’ biggest asset. McCarthy knows Milton’s style better than anyone else in the NFC East. The Eagles delayed announcing Milton as the starter until Friday to keep the Giants guessing. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni admitted he wanted to hide the move. “I was going to hold onto that for as long as I possibly could,” Sirianni told reporters, according to Yahoo Sports. He said every second of delay helps the opponent get ready. The Giants have to be ready for a shootout.
The Arrow Points Up
The Giants have not won in Philadelphia since October 27, 2013. McCarthy has moved around great in practice and shows a much better arm than scouts thought he had. Mara says the arrow is up on him. The quarterback who played for Minnesota is now the starting quarterback for New York. He faces a tough defense and a familiar rival on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Lincoln Financial Field.
