PHILADELPHIA -- New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy felt “good” after Sunday’s 19-11 win over the Philadelphia Eagles despite leaving for most of the third quarter with a hip injury.
McCarthy returned late in the third and was visibly limping and in pain after several plays down the stretch. He insisted after the game he would be OK and felt fine. That will undoubtedly be tested with the Giants set to face the Washington Commanders on Thursday night.
“I feel good. At the end of the day, [as] I said, it’s a physical game and a lot of guys are banged up, but we’re going to do our best to make sure we turn over as fast as possible and do whatever we can between now and then and make sure we’re as close to 100% leading up to a great opponent against Washington,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy was hurt when he pulled the ball on a zone-read and ran to his left on the second play of the second half. He was met by Eagles linebacker Zack Baun after a 3-yard gain and laid on the ground for a few seconds in pain. Baun collided flush with McCarthy’s right hip.
“Yeah, obviously the play was quarterback-driven run, and I pulled it based on my read, and the goal is to get to the numbers, get out of bounds,” McCarthy said. “I pulled it back inside and kind of saw Baun late and tried to get my shoulder down, didn’t get it down enough and he made a great hit. At the end of the day, I’ve just got to protect myself and do a better job of doing that.”
Several teammates called to the sideline for the medical staff. McCarthy eventually jogged with a limp off the field. The new Giants starter tried some warmup throws on the sideline to see if he was OK. He winced with discomfort after the first attempt and crumbled to the ground in extreme pain after the second.
At that point, McCarthy was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. He sprinted out later in the quarter and ran onto the field while backup Jameis Winston was ready to join the huddle for the final play of the third quarter on the start of a new drive. Winston eventually jogged off the field and was replaced by McCarthy.
The Giants contemplated leaving Winston in the game after driving 76 yards on 14 plays for a touchdown.
“We did. We had a conversation, and that was definitely part of the conversation,” coach John Harbaugh said. “But the trainers and the doctors said [McCarthy] was good and he said he was ready to go. And so with that we decided to put him back out there.”
The Giants (5-2-1) are looking to make a playoff run with McCarthy as their quarterback. He was installed as their starter several weeks back and will remain that, even though Sunday wasn’t his most effective performance. McCarthy finished just 12-of-19 passing for 127 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and five sacks. New York’s only touchdown came with Winston in the game.
“I do whatever is required for the team,” Winston said. “That is the beautiful thing about a football team. Whatever our coach wants us to do, you have to be willing and able to do it out here.”
Winston filled his role, proving again to be a more than capable backup. The veteran quarterback went 6-of-8 passing for 71 yards with a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely that gave the Giants a lead they would never relinquish late in the third quarter.
It’s still McCarthy’s show moving forward, though. Reentering the game despite being hampered by the injury meant something to his new coach and teammates.
“It just shows the competitor he is, how resilient he is, how he wants to win bad and how he’s giving it all for his team,” wide receiver Malachi Fields said.
Harbaugh added: “I think it means a lot because I think it just demonstrates the heart we’re talking about. Every single player has the opportunity to lead and demonstrate that at some point in time. And to your point, the quarterback is doing it and that’s big.”
The Giants traded a fifth-round pick for McCarthy and installed him as the starter ahead of Winston just weeks after his arrival. He was the third quarterback to start for New York this season after Jaxson Dart was injured on the opening drive of a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Injuries have been a concern for McCarthy since he was drafted 10th overall by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL draft. He missed all of his rookie year after undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his knee and dealt with a high ankle sprain early last season and a fracture in his hand late in the year.
McCarthy wasn’t about to let this be a part of the list. The previous injuries added to his motivation to return.
“For sure. [It’s] part of the frustration,” he said. “I let my emotions get the best of me on the sideline, and that’s something that I’m a little disappointed with, but at the end of the day, it’s a physical game, and I need to do a better job of making sure that I protect myself and really focus on just being available at all times.”