‘He never got a fair shake’: Dave Portnoy points to Sunday as proof that Vikings mishandled J.J. McCarthy
New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) and New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) during a week 6 NFL football game between New York Giants and New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
The New York Giants traded with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a former first-round pick who never quite lived up to expectations in Minnesota.
On Sunday, McCarthy got his first action with the Giants on Sunday in relief of veteran Jameis Winston against the New Orleans Saints, who has struggled to keep New York’s offense in sync and protect the ball since stepping in for injured Week 1 starter Jaxson Dart. The former national champion with the Michigan Wolverines was extremely impressive in his opportunity, throwing for 243 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and also showing his ability to make plays with his legs.
The Giants fell just short of a miraculous comeback, but there’s no denying that McCarthy looked like a completely different player than he did with the Vikings. When discussing the situation with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said that he believes the Vikings never gave McCarthy “a fair shake.”
“Sometimes a change of scenery can be a real positive thing,” Gruden said on Monday’s episode of Wake Up Barstool. “You can ask Sam Darnold, you can ask Baker Mayfield. And yesterday, let’s be honest, this kid came in there and ignited the Giants. I mean, this guy made plays with his legs, he made some really good throws, He’s just learning the system. This guy was the first-round pick just a year and a half ago.”
JJ never got a fair shake in Minnesota and he proved all the haters wrong yesterday https://t.co/1hTBZtzj0C
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 19, 2026
“I was really excited for him personally, and I hope the Giants give him the ball,” Gruden added. “I mean, this guy’s got to play to get better. He needs the reps on the practice field. Sometimes when the coach shows confidence in you and you feel that confidence, it can be a game changer.”
For Portnoy’s part, he feels McCarthy has always had this in him.
“I never thought he got a fair shake in Minnesota,” Portnoy told Gruden. “He never got a fair shake. He got hurt right away and then never got back in the flow. I’ve always been a JJ fan. I saw what he did every single game at Michigan. I said when the Giants got him, they got a winner.”
New York’s next game will be on Sunday against the Houston Texans, and it’ll be hard for head coach John Harbaugh not to start him given the fourth quarter he just had.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.