Evan Barnes: Giants take gamble on J.J. McCarthy, but will it hurt team chemistry down the road?
Giants quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy, right, and Jameis Winston talk during a practice on Wednesday in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
A half hour after Giants practice ended Wednesday, Jameis Winston was doing stretches by himself. New teammate J.J. McCarthy walked by him and then joined in.
They stretched together whether it was standing stretches or bear crawls forward and backward. On the crawls, Winston moved a few steps ahead of McCarthy since he's more familiar with his routine.
The chemistry looked good for one day. But will it stay that way if Winston struggles Sunday against the Cardinals and or next week at the Commanders?
This is the dance John Harbaugh has to navigate. By adding McCarthy, he made a statement the Giants are doing what it takes to stay a better team. At 2-1, the Giants have a luxury to take risks sitting tied for the NFC East lead.
“It’s an opportunity for us to improve our team, one little way maybe,” Harbaugh said Wednesday of adding McCarthy. “Who knows where it goes or where it doesn’t go.”
But it’s also risking the unity of the happy house Harbaugh’s built so far. The players have already rallied around Winston after a win. How will they feel if they see McCarthy’s arrival signals as a possible lack of confidence in Winston.
The offense is still trying to get on the same page with Winston. But now, they also must acclimate to McCarthy. That’s a delicate balance even if the players understand winning matters. So it’s balancing helping Winston and getting McCarthy up to speed.
“Just trying to reiterate the things that I'm talking about with Jameis to him,” Isaiah Likely said about getting to know McCarthy. “Whether it's on the field, in the film room, or just walking around in the hallway. Just making sure that whatever quarterback is out there, making sure that I'm on the same page as them.”
At the same time, consider this scene after practice broke Wednesday. Winston took time throwing with Likely, Malik Nabers and Malachi Fields on one field. McCarthy was on the next field taking snaps without any first-team skill players around.
That showed where the priority is right now. The offense has to get right with Winston first, no matter what.
“Me and Jameis are fighting like heck to try to be on the same page,” Likely said. “So when the time comes on those needed downs, we're on the same page and we get to move those chains.”
But what happens if those good vibes are threatened. What if players take sides knowing Winston is on a short leash and McCarthy could be the next place to land? How do Harbaugh and the coaches keep building Winston up while also helping McCarthy get ready.
It’s the sort of thing that can tear up a locker rooms. The Giants bought into to the Harbaugh Way and are united behind him. They know right now there’s no issue and McCarthy is just learning the ropes in a new setting.
“It's not like he's coming into a QB battle. He's not coming in expected to play right away,” defensive lineman Shelby Harris said Tuesday while hosting “The Players Point” on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “It's a situation for a young quarterback to go out there and get a fresh start. And that's honestly great for him."
Yet what if that changes? It’s on the board because Winston hasn’t looked great in two games. It could create something Harbaugh hasn’t dealt with often.
In 2018, the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round and it was inevitable he’d take over as starting quarterback from Joe Flacco. That was different from this.
McCarthy’s arrival isn’t about the long term future. It’s a possible short term fix that could inspire or backfire. Given McCarthy’s issues when he played on the Vikings, the latter is on the board if he replaces Winston.
What if there’s a situation where both quarterbacks alternate games if neither are up to par. That will easily deteriorate a locker room trying to rally and keep confidence in a quarterback.
It’s why Harbaugh has to hope the wins keep coming, whether under Winston or McCarthy. The Giants are sitting pretty for now but the gamble of adding McCarthy isn’t just about trying to give him a second chance. It’s keeping a tight locker room together.
Everything’s great when a team is above .500 and both quarterbacks are stretching and joking together in practice. But let’s see in a few weeks if things stay that way. If so, it will prove again why Harbaugh is earning $20 million a year by keeping this locker room together.
There’s just a chance it might not happen. For now, it’s up to Harbaugh, Winston and McCarthy to make sure this new partnership produces wins, not controversy or lack of team chemistry.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
