J.J. McCarthy sees Giants as 'an opportunity' after shock trade from Vikings

A few days after the Giants traded for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the young gunslinger made his first public comments to the media following Friday's practice.

Speaking in the locker room, the 23-year-old said "it was a shock" when he was traded by the Vikings, the team that drafted him No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Although his first two seasons with Minnesota didn't go as planned, McCarthy understood the business of the NFL and after the initial shock, is taking the move in stride.

"It's been a whirlwind, the full experience of the nature of the beast, which is the NFL," he told the media including the Daily News' Pat Leonard . "But I'm extremely grateful for all the time in Minnesota. So many great relationships. So many learning lessons and growth. And I'm just so fired up to be a New York Football Giant."

McCarthy said he didn't see the move coming, but sees his move to New York as an opportunity.

"At the end of the day, it's an opportunity," he said. "An opportunity to take advantage of."

The Giants were in need of a quarterback after losing Jaxson Dart for the regular season. Jameis Winston , who will start the team's Week 4 matchup with the Cardinals, is a veteran capable of starting, but has struggled offensively in parts of the last two weeks. McCarthy will give the Giants another capable quarterback who has started in this league, while also evaluating what the Michigan product can bring to the team.

Coach John Harbaugh and the rest of the staff have eased McCarthy into the offense , and they thought he did a good job with what they asked him to do this week at practice.

"He practiced the things we asked him to do. Had different things for him, here and there. A lot of it is learning the offense," Harbaugh said Friday. "Thought he did a good job with that; 24/7 almost, really. Trying to be immersed in the offense. He wants to learn it, he wants to know it all. That's what we've been working on. It's kind of what you expect."

The team has yet to announce the QB pecking order for this week. It's safe to assume Winston will start, with Jake Haener in the mix to be the team's backup, but Harbaugh, as to be expected, did not divulge the plan.

"We're not announcing any of that right now," Harbaugh said. "And I would say probably, honestly, we're probably still figuring it out. What exactly, how do we use him [McCarthy]? How do we use Jake in those kinds of backup roles? Who's ready for what? Jake's only been here for like a month, too. But he's obviously more immersed in the offense. So we have to decide those things."

However the Giants depth chart looks this Sunday, McCarthy is using this fresh start to become acclimated to the offense and his new teammates.

"Being in the league almost over 2.5 years now, who you are is who you are," he said. "I just try to be authentically me, because the locker room's gonna find out eventually. So I just try to be myself and do whatever I can to just be a guy that lets them know that I love this game.

"I'm gonna work my butt off," he said, "and I love these guys around me."

The Giants (2-1) look to continue their winning ways when they host the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday at 1 p.m.