Giants turn to J.J. McCarthy as starting quarterback for Week 7 at Texans

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The New York Giants are turning to J.J. McCarthy at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.

Coach John Harbaugh announced the Week 7 decision after Wednesday's practice, the Giants reported. Jameis Winston will be the backup and Jake Haener the emergency third quarterback. The announcement identifies the change for the Houston game; a longer-term starting commitment should not be assumed.

New York enters the matchup at 3-2-1, according to the club, while Houston is 2-4 after winning its previous two games. The NFL lists the game for Sunday, October 25 at 1 p.m. Eastern. Both teams have a bye after the matchup, according to the Giants.

The club said Winston started the previous four games after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. New York went 2-1-1 in those starts. McCarthy arrived from Minnesota in a trade for a 2027 fifth-round draft choice, the team said.

FourthWire analysis: A quarterback change can alter the kinds of plays an offense emphasizes without requiring an entirely new playbook. Harbaugh told the team website that the underlying concepts and blocking schemes would remain, even if certain plays fit one quarterback more naturally than the other. Sunday's game provides the first opportunity to see how that translates against Houston; it does not guarantee a particular outcome.

Availability can change before kickoff. FourthWire will use the teams' official game-status reports and inactive lists for any later updates.