NFL quarterback, former first-round pick traded to NFC team

SportsThe Minnesota Vikings are trading former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. (Abra Richardson | MLive.com)Abra Richardson | MLive.comBy Matt Connolly | mconnolly@pennlive.comThe New York Giants are trading for help at the quarterback position after losing Jaxson Dart to a season-ending injury.The Giants have landed former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The Giants gave up a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to acquire McCarthy, Rapoport reports.McCarthy, who led Michigan to a national championship during the 2023 season, was drafted by the Vikings with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has yet to appear in a game this season.Former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray is the starting quarterback for the Vikings with veteran Carson Wentz serving as the backup.While McCarthy has yet to appear in a game this season, he did start 10 games for the Vikings in 2025. McCarthy completed 57.6 percent of his passes last season while throwing for 1,632 yards. He had 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 6-foot-3 quarterback also rushed for 181 yards and four scores.The Vikings went 6-4 in games McCarthy started in 2025.The Giants started veteran quarterback Jameis Winston in a 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans this past weekend. Winston has appeared in two games this season, completing 25 of 49 passes for 229 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception.Matt Connolly is a Sports Trending Reporter for PennLive, writing about the NFL, college sports and other topics. He has covered college football and college basketball since 2010 and was on the Clemson beat...