Jameis Winston on J.J. McCarthy: I have to play well regardless of who else is here

Published October 1, 2026 04:31 PM Jameis Winston will be starting at quarterback for the Giants against the Cardinals on Sunday, but the team’s move to add J.J. McCarthy in a trade this week has led to questions about how long he’ll remain in that role. Winston struggled when he came in after Jaxson Dart’s injury in Week 2, but avoided turnovers while going 14-of-22 for 118 yards in the Giants’ 12-7 win over the Titans last Sunday. In his weekly press conference, Winston said he doesn’t feel any more challenged to play well because of McCarthy’s arrival. “I mean, I have to play well regardless,” Winston said, via a transcript from the team. “It doesn’t matter who’s in the building. When you’re the quarterback for the New York Football Giants, you have to give your team a chance to win, and that’s just the business that we’re in.”The Giants were clear about their intent to add to their quarterback options after Dart was ruled out for the rest of the season, so Winston knew something was coming before the McCarthy news came early in the week and he’s also been in the league long enough to know that job security is often determined on a week-to-week basis.