JJ McCarthy is getting a fresh start in more ways than one.
The third-year quarterback McCarthy is set to wear a new jersey number with the New York Giants, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Tuesday. McCarthy will be switching from No. 9 to No. 18.
No. 9 is already in use with the Giants by tight end Isaiah Likely. As a result, McCarthy will be going for exactly two times the No. 9 jersey by wearing No. 18.
McCarthy, the 23-year-old signal caller, was traded to New York earlier this week after a forgettable tenure with the Vikings. Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but got just 10 total and mostly ineffective starts out of him, in large part due to meniscus and ankle injuries.
With Kyler Murray winning the starting QB job for the Vikings this season, the team decided to finally send McCarthy packing in exchange for some light draft-pick compensation. Now McCarthy is on a Giants team that just lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season and needed further depth behind new starter Jameis Winston.
McCarthy had worn the No. 9 jersey since at least his time in college at Michigan (where he won a national title in the 2023 NCAA season). But now McCarthy is switching to No. 18, which was last worn for the Giants by fellow quarterback Jake Haener (who has since been waived by the team amid McCarthy’s arrival).
