J.J. McCarthy Wins First Giants Start, Much To The Excitement Of His Wife

by Robert BluteOctober 27, 2026, 2:07 pm >

J.J. McCarthy picked up his first win as a New York Giant, leading the team past the Houston Texans 27-21 in overtime.

After the game, McCarthy’s wife, Katya McCarthy, took to Instagram to share her excitement and how proud she was of her husband. “God, I love you. So deserving,” was the exact wording of the post after the NFL posted a video of McCarthy’s celebration on the field following the win. The two are high school sweethearts and were married in 2025.

Even though McCarthy’s day didn’t show much on the stat sheet, his 252 yards and down-the-field drives led to the three rushing touchdowns the Giants scored. It was McCarthy’s first start with the Giants since being traded from the Minnesota Vikings, and he took over for Jameis Winston, who has been the team’s main man since QB Jaxon Dart went down with a season-ending injury.

Since Dart’s injury, the Giants have held their own after what looked like another season headed for a complete derailment. The Giants moved to 4-2-1 and still lead the NFC East.

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McCarthy gets a second chance to prove himself after losing his starting job in Minnesota last year. The National Champion from the University of Michigan has shown flashes of promise but has ultimately lacked consistency in the NFL.

The Giants haven’t won the NFC East since 2011, and won the Super Bowl that year with Eli Manning under center. McCarthy won’t have a long-term home in New York regardless, barring something crazy like the Giants setting on Dart as their franchise quarterback, but this season could be McCarthy’s chance to win a job elsewhere if he can right the ship.