John Harbaugh provides update on Giants' QB situation between JJ McCarthy, Jameis Winston

McCarthy made his Giants debut on Sunday after Jameis Winston was benched

Oct 19, 2026 at 4:08 pm ET • 1 min read

John Harbaugh's first season as the New York Giants coach is once again dominated by his quarterback situation. First, it was the season-ending injury to Jaxson Dart. Now, it's a position battle between JJ McCarthy and Jameis Winston. 

The Giants initially turned to Winston after Dart suffered his injury in Week 2. As he is known to do, Winston has had good and bad moments over the past five games. He has played well enough, though, to post a 2-1-1 record as the Giants' starting quarterback. 

Winston struggled on Sunday, however, and he was replaced in the second half by McCarthy, who engineered three fourth-quarter scoring drives. The comeback fell short, however, as the Saints left New Jersey with a 34-27 win. 

Harbaugh, as expected, was asked on Monday if Winston would be his starting quarterback for the Giants' upcoming road game against the Houston Texans. 

"We're working through that now, homing in on a decision," Harbaugh said. 

Harbaugh's decision will be crucial for the Giants, who are currently in first place in the NFC East. Should they give Winston another shot, or is it time to see what McCarthy can do?

Harbaugh is likely considering the opponent. The Texans, after an 0-4 start, have won two straight games after they defeated the Jaguars on Sunday in London. While this season hasn't been their best, the Texans have talented players on defense, especially pass rusher Will Anderson, who leads the NFL with 7.5 sacks. While McCarthy's mobility may be an asset, his lack of experience running the Giants' offense could also hold the Giants back. 

Expect Harbaugh to give both quarterbacks reps during practice until a decision is made.   

Quarterback isn't the only position Harbaugh needs to address. He also needs to figure out who the Giants' starting running back is after Cam Skattebo — the Giants' starter on paper — inexplicably received zero carries during Sunday's loss to the Saints. Harbaugh said afterward that he is waiting for one of his running backs to earn the job.