JJ McCarthy reportedly named the Giants QB1 over Jameis Winston for the Giants’ Week 7 NFL matchup against the Texans

The New York Giants reportedly have a new starter under center.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Giants plan to start JJ McCarthy at quarterback over Jameis Winston for a Week 7 matchup with the Houston Texans.

New York originally acquired McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings on September 28, sending a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for the signal-caller.

He served as a depth piece for the Giants before stepping into their first-team offense after Winston was benched in the second half of a 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 6.

McCarthy didn’t get off to a good start against New Orleans, as he threw an interception on his first drive of the game.

Yet he bounced back and almost helped the Giants earn an improbable comeback victory. They led 34-10 when McCarthy entered the game in the fourth quarter before cutting the deficit to 34-27.

New York also had a chance to tie the game on its final possession, but couldn’t convert on fourth down at the Saints 14-yard line.

McCarthy finished 11 of 21 for 243 yards and a touchdown while being picked off once, while Winston went 14 of 26 for 152 yards and a touchdown compared to two interceptions.

McCarthy is looking to get his career back on track, as the former first-round pick failed to live up to expectations as a member of the Vikings.

In 2024, he was sidelined for his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus.

McCarthy struggled the following year, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns along with 12 interceptions in 10 games. He also wasn’t able to beat out Kyler Murray in training camp for Minnesota’s starting quarterback job ahead of his 2026 campaign.

As for Winston, he has started each of the Giants’ four games since Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.

Winston threw for 957 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions while posting a 57.0 completion percentage.

The Giants still opened their 2026 season on a high note despite using multiple starting quarterbacks, sitting atop the NFC East standings with a 3-2-1 record.

They will face the Texans on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.