News Article
Published
Oct 21, 2026 at 03:53 PM EDT
Russell Wilson knows how fast the Giants can pull the plug on a quarterback, and his plea for patience with Jameis Winston went unheeded.
The New York Giants will hand J.J. McCarthy the start when they visit the Houston Texans in Week 7, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Wilson had made the opposite case shortly before that report surfaced.
On CBS Sports’ “Set, Hut!,” the former Giants starter laid out his case.
“I think that before you jump the bridge to J.J. McCarthy you may have to give Jameis Winston one more shot and one more look at it to make sure,” Wilson said. “The reality is Jameis has played more football, but also, this 23-year-old just threw for 243 yards in the fourth quarter. What if he played four quarters?”
Winston’s best argument is his arm. In Week 5, the 32-year-old carved up the Washington Commanders for 326 passing yards and three touchdowns.
His next start, against the New Orleans Saints, went the other way. Two interceptions and 152 yards later, head coach John Harbaugh pulled Winston.
McCarthy, 23, came on and ripped off 28 yards on one carry. The former top-10 pick had slid to third string with the Minnesota Vikings.
Wilson’s own 2025 followed a similar script. He threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, then posted 160 yards and two interceptions versus the Kansas City Chiefs the next week.
Jaxson Dart, then a rookie, took over early that season. The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy noted that Wilson “no doubt feels that the leash was too short on him with #Giants last year.”
Dart gave the offense a new look until a September knee operation ended his season.
That leaves Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy holding a playbook built around a quarterback who can run. McCarthy fits that. Winston, a veteran pocket passer, doesn’t.
Nobody in this debate knows a short Giants leash better than Wilson. McCarthy gets his turn against C.J. Stroud and the Texans in Week 7.