EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- J.J. McCarthy's first week with the New York Giants is being spent as the third-string quarterback. He arrived after being traded from the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-round pick and begins behind veteran Jameis Winston and Jake Haener.
Being the third-stringer seems like a temporary thing given his pedigree and the situation. The likelihood is that McCarthy will climb the depth chart once he learns the new offense and gets acclimated to his surroundings. He will either be the backup to Winston or eventually become the team's starter.
It's all dependent on how Winston plays at home on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals (1 p.m. ET, CBS) and likely next week on the road against the Washington Commanders. He'll have to play better than he did against the Los Angeles Rams or Tennessee Titans. It could be considered a two-week tryout.
Coach John Harbaugh says he is worried about this week and this week only. He even wore a black shirt with big white letters at Wednesday's practice that read "1-0" to accentuate that point.