Head Coach John Harbaugh

JOHN HARBAUGH: Good practice. Getting ready for tough game down in Houston, and we're preparing for that, for that battle. We'll make an announcement about the quarterback situation. We will be starting (Quarterback) J.J. (McCarthy) in the game. (Quarterback) Jameis (Winston) will be the backup, and then Jake will be the number three emergency quarterback. We also acquired a player from the Colts, Josh Sills, an offensive lineman, who we took off the practice squad, so he'll be on our roster going forward.

Q: What made you decide to go with J.J. here?

JOHN HARBAUGH: All things we talked about on Monday, probably, you know, the same. I guess it's probably the same answer, you know, it's all things considered. What gives us the best chance to be our best? Gives us the best chance to play the best offense we can, and I thought Jameis has done a tremendous job. Won us games, played well. But as we go forward here, this is going to be our direction, and we think it gives us some good options on offense.

Q: You say, you know, direction going forward. Is it a definite type thing? It's not going to be week to week going forward? You're going to stick with J.J. for a while?

JOHN HARBAUGH: You know life is day to day, minute to minute, you know? There's really no guarantees. I would never say anything is permanent, really, in football or life, but that's the plan going forward.

Q: Why do you think J.J. gives you the best opportunity?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Both guys are great quarterbacks. It's not really a comparison kind of thing. Just, you know, J.J.'s got a skill set that we can take advantage of, and we're excited to see what we can do with it.

Q: Since he came in here, what do you like best about him?

JOHN HARBAUGH: He's obviously out here throwing right now. I'm kind of watching him as you guys ask the questions out here, getting some extra work. He's got a heck of a skill set, you know? He can throw it. He's picked up the offense really quickly. He's an athletic guy, obviously, and he's  going to play some good football.

Q: How much of that offense does he know in terms of versus what you're tailoring the offense to him?

JOHN HARBAUGH: The offense is- the book itself is huge, and it's always tailored toward probably your players, and certainly your quarterback, right? But he's got the game plan down. I think he headed down last week, pretty fully, even more so this week. It has been tailored a little more toward his direction probably, but he'll be ready to go.

Q: You mentioned, after Jaxson got hurt, your whole offense had to do a pretty dramatic shift, you know, to get a lot of the stuff out that Jaxson did, and what Jameis can't do. Is a lot of that stuff that Jaxson did now back on the table with J.J.?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It's hard to make a direct comparison because that was a number of weeks ago, so is it exactly like the Dallas plan? I wouldn't say specifically like it, but there's elements and things like that that he's able to do that are going help us.

Q: The last time you made a quarterback change midseason that was not based on injury, was when you went with (Baltimore Ravens Quarterback) Lamar (Jackon) , and sat down (Former Baltimore Ravens Quarterback) Joe (Flacco), from a quarterback, that, I guess, would be similar somewhat to Jameis, to a quarterback of skill set, with McCarthy, and Lamar, both being mobile. How hard is it to adjust in the middle of a season when you're switching offenses back and forth?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I think the offense is definitely the same offense we've been running. There are types of plays, probably, that will be more in J.J.'s world that weren't as quite as much in Jameis's world, probably, and plays that were in Jameis's world that wouldn't be in J.J.'s world quite as much, but the concepts are still there, the blocking schemes are the same. It's not going to be a big adjustment for the rest of the guys. You know, I'm not going say it's not it's not a work in progress. Everything is a work in progress, and I'm not going say it would be like having your starting quarterback from the beginning. I mean, it's definitely different. It was different that year, too, but it can be done, and we're trying to win the division. We're trying to take it as far as we can and win as many games as we can. We've got goals, and we're excited to go play this game. It's going to be a tough game. It's going to be against a really good team and a tough environment. They're starting to win some games. But we're up for it. up for the challenge, and we can't wait to get down there.

Q: What did you see out of Houston the first few games that you've seen now?

JOHN HARBAUGH: They're playing better. I mean, I guess the bottom line, they're healthier for sure than they were early on. In those weeks, they kind of found themselves a little bit. They've added a couple players, added a wide receiver, and got a couple guys healthy. Two inside backers are back. They're getting a receiver back again this game, whose been out for a while (Houston Texans Wide Receiver) Tank Dell. He's a unique skill set guy. Every team evolves, every team's different than they were to start to season.

Q: You have two guys who've been through this before as quarterbacks, but how did this conversation go? I'm guessing you told him this morning.

JOHN HARBAUGH: We talked about it yesterday. Just one on one with each guy, and they both were great. It's kind of an ongoing conversation. It's not like it's not a new thing out of the blue. I mean, we've been together working together for a few weeks now with J.J. And Jameis, we've been together every day, so, Jameis was great. I mean, just start with Jameis. This guy is one of the finest human beings, best teammates, best leaders you could ever be around. And he wants what's best for the team. I mean, of course, he wants to play, he wants to be out there competing. Wants to have the ball in his hands, you know? But he also wants for J.J. to do well, and he's been with him every step of the way to help him be the best player he can be, and with the guys, he's in the meeting making state points and asking questions and making sure everybody's on the same page, just like he was even when Jaxson was playing. It wasn't any different. So, and then, of course, J.J.'s real excited. He was fired up and ready to go, and he feels like he's ready, and he can't wait. Couldn't wait to get out to practice today. They both were very, I would say, both just great about it.

Q: What did you sense the reaction was from the team when you told them?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I didn't really have a big announcement. It was just part of the ongoing meeting. It wasn't like I said "Hey, I got an announcement on the starting quarterback." They kind of figured it out when they saw the game plan. So, I didn't think anything needed to be made of it too much. You could probably ask them, they could probably give you a better answer than I could. I wasn't too worried about it.

Q: Things obviously didn't go particularly well for J.J. when he was in Minnesota. So, throughout your career in coaching, how much have you seen, or, or you've seen, where a change of scenery really can benefit a player and help turn his career around?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It's a good question. A quarterback, probably I haven't been around it that much. I mean, we brought Tyrod Taylor in. We had him and then he came back. I can't really cite an example at quarterback, but I think a lot of players have that happen over the years, who've done well, who've been around or come in, started well, then they had a lull, then they came back, they didn't start off well, then they did well with us, and got a big contract, I've seen that happen. But you guys know the quarterbacks around the league as well as I do, probably better, covering the league. A lot of these guys have done that. You see it all the time, and I think it's just a normal thing. In J.J.'s case, he was really young going in there, and for whatever reason, the expectations now are so high, you got to win right away. If you don't win, you lose two games, and it's the end of the world, and the quarterback takes a lot of the brunt of that. Careers aren't made, and Rome wasn't built in a day. Is that saying? You know, careers either. So this would be a great opportunity for him.

Q: When you said ongoing conversations, and J.J had a good command of the playbook last week, was their thought of making J.J. the starter last week?

JOHN HARBAUGH: There was not. No, we were pretty set last week. We were actually very set last week with Jameis being the person. And this week, it was different. J.J.'s further along, and you just kind of meet the circumstances where they're at. Didn't make as much sense last week. It made a lot of sense this week.

Q: We didn't get really a chance to ask you why you put J.J. in. Was it just to get snaps? Was it benching?

JOHN HARBAUGH: It was twofold. I mean you're down 24 with seven minutes. Was it seven minutes left when he came in? 11 minutes left. It's pretty tough to come back. You're going to have to get three touchdowns probably you're hoping for the two point conversion. It turned out we were able to get an extra another drive in there maybe than we thought we were going to. But it was twofold. It was to win the game, and I thought maybe a spark would give us a chance to win the game. He could run around, maybe make some plays, which he did. And then also, yeah, to get a look at him. That was probably the other part of it, honestly. And so, that's what happened.

Q: This will be your third quarterback. and it's obviously a very important position with the team, but the way your team has rallied around who's ever been in there.

JOHN HARBAUGH: It's a great point. I have, and I don't want to even take that for granted. I probably have taken it for granted. I mean, these guys haven't blinked ever. They haven't. We haven't always played great. But we've had some really great moments, and we've had a lot of great moments, and if you look around the league, that is football right now. We're right there with everybody else. We're right there trying to find our identity and our rhythm and get consistent in what we're doing, and the teams that are able to find that over the next three, four, five, six weeks are going to be the teams that are going to be fighting for a championship at the end. And we can be one of those teams. The fact that our guys have that mindset, that you're pointing out to me is really the main thing. That's really what it takes. We have good enough players. We can we can win the division, we can win more than the division. Are we going to be able to do it? That's what we're fighting for, and it's not easy. But our guys are good, man. They're not too worried about who the quarterback is, kind of to your point, they're not thinking about it. "Who's the quarterback? All right? Let's go. Let's go play. Let's get our thing right. Defense, let's get right on defense. Special teams, let's get the kickoff return going," or whatever. You know, that's the way they think.

Q: It's that any indication that any of the tackles are long term.

JOHN HARBAUGH: No, there's no indication that any of the tackles are long term.

Q: DeMeco's defense is pretty complex and aggressive. What kind of a challenge does that face for a young guy like J.J.?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Yeah, it's more fundamentally based. It's not so much a scheme defense. I think it's more of a kind of a mindset defense. They really do a great job of playing ahead of plays, and staying on top of plays. They're in the right spot. They're playing aggressively. They play downhill on plays. They don't change the scheme up too much, although they're blitzing a little more the last two weeks since DeMeco (Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco) has taken over the play calling. A little more aggressively, but they play aggressively. They play fundamental football. They're very physical. They've got the two edge guys that set the tone, they got the two inside backers back now. They're tone setters as well. They were the number one defense in the league last year. Not quite there statistically this year, but we can see that they're pretty confident in what they're doing, so we'll have to be at our best.

Q: The rest of the NFC East is under .500. Does that increase your sense of urgency in moving up the timetable on J.J. than maybe waiting till after the bye?

JOHN HARBAUGH: I never even thought about it that way. Honestly. It was pretty evident to me, self-evident that it was the right time for what we need right now. And I didn't put in those terms, really.

Q: For J.J., you told us about how it wasn't about Jim, it was about you seeing him. You knew what player you were getting. How important do you think it was for J.J. to show everyone, besides you in this building, that he was the kind of player that could take this opportunity?

JOHN HARBAUGH: Just in fairness to the building, because you mentioned the building, the building was for it. That was their number one guy. I'm talking about the scouts, starting with Joe and his whole staff. They do a great job. They're meticulous. And that was their recommendation of who they thought we should go after and who we should want. I come in on the back end of that. I had watched him a lot in college, but now I need to watch tape. And then I'm watching the tape. You see good, and you see the not good, and all that, but I saw a lot of talent, and I saw a guy that I thought could do the things that we want to do on offense, for sure. I have to give our scouts in the building a lot of credit.  They were excited about that opportunity. As far as the players, to your point, if that's kind of more the question, yeah, the players, they always need to see it. The players go by what they see. A lot of times the players know more than anybody who the good players are. They're the ones out there playing with them. But I think the last couple weeks, they've had a chance to see him practice, and then they're pretty fired up about it.

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy

J.J. MCCARTHY: Just honored to be here in front of you guys, honored to be a quarterback for the New York Football Giants, and to be able to get an opportunity to go against a great Houston Texans team, and thrilled to get out there tomorrow, really get in the film room and just evaluate today's practice to get better and go from there, open it up to any questions.

Q: Did this take you by surprise at all? Or when you left that stadium on Sunday, did you think you had a real chance to be in this position?

J.J. MCCARTHY: I don't think surprise is the word. It's really just, I'm focused on that next thing, what's next? No matter what, there's going to be factors that are outside of my control that are going to steer me in certain directions. But I'm going to continue to focus on the things that I can control, and go from there, and yeah, that's kind of how it went.

Q: J.J., when you got here last week, a lot of people talked about a fresh start for you. How have you embraced that, what has it felt like, and how has your mindset or approach changed for you?

J.J. MCCARTHY: That's a great question. I feel like just being around a new group of guys, new system, new coaching staff, just a new culture. Everything about this place it feels very fitting for me. Just being in a makeshift locker room, being in this system where they use the quarterback's legs and a multitude of things, but the personalities, the culture of just grinding every single day to get better and everyone helping each other to progress towards one goal. It's been fantastic. A lot of successful buildings have similar qualities, and this building definitely has that. But it's got its own little makeshift New York Giants football that is really special and I'm just so blessed to be a part of it.

Q: Do you think you're more ready for this starting job than you were in your first starting job in the NFL, and if so, why?

J.J. MCCARTHY: Yes, sir. I believe just experience does wonders. Being able to be in that same situation where you might have made a mistake the last time, this time you're just going to react better and make a more well-rounded response decision in that situation. Just being around great talent and great coaches, absolutely love everyone on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball does a tremendous job of just giving us opportunities and always making sure we stay in the game and fight to the last seconds of each game.

Q: Have you thought about the fact that this game, your first game as a Giants starter is in Houston, where you won the national championship. So, is it kind of full circle here?

J.J. MCCARTHY: It is really special, it's awesome. But each game, each rep is an independent event. And going in there and just focusing on that first play and executing those six seconds within that play, that's really the main focus. But it's going to be really cool to be in Houston and I think we're staying in the same hotel that we stayed in when we were there in 2024. Just really excited to go play with these boys this weekend.

Q: Have you had a chance to talk to (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) since you were named a starter?

J.J. MCCARTHY: I talked to him today, just normal conversation. We're both just rooting for each other.

And like I told him, I'm doing the same thing that you want, is help win the football games for this organization and do everything we can and be the best versions of ourselves every day to help the collective. It's been great conversation. I love Jaxson. We've worked with the same QB coach out in California for a long time so we have a prior relationship.

Q: Are you picking his brain at all about this offense? When you looked at any of the film or the playbook, have you talked to him about certain plays, concepts?

J.J. MCCARTHY: He hasn't been in meetings much, but I think he's coming back this week to really dive into the game plan and be that sounding board for me. It's going to be great because he is such a smart player and obviously very well-rounded in this offense. It's going to be awesome to just ask him really anything and pick his brain about anything.

Q: Looking back at the film from Sunday, how do you think you played?

J.J. MCCARTHY: There were some good things, there were some bad things. Obviously, that's something that I try to keep with coaches for a competitive advantage standpoint. But it was really fun to just be out there with this group and be able to execute the plays. And Coach Nags (Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy) trusted me to run his offense, and just super thrilled to be back out there playing.

Q: Before your draft process, was there a point where you thought you would be here? What's it like to be here now?

J.J. MCCARTHY: There's definitely a point where I wanted to be here. It's the second I got in here and the second I left. There's something special about this building, this state, this football program, been around for 101 years. It's got so much passion, so much tradition. Nothing about this place really gives you the kind of irk feeling to it. It's just welcomed me with open arms since the first second I got in these doors. And it's done the same since I got here this year. I'm extremely grateful to this organization for just welcoming me.

Q: How much more vocal have you been with Matt (Nagy) in terms of what you like, maybe what you don't like, what you want to do more of, maybe when you were with (Vikings Head Coach) Kevin (O'Connell) as a rookie and still trying to figure out how to find your own voice?

J.J. MCCARTHY: That's definitely a process that I think a lot of young quarterbacks go through, where you have to be able to tell them what you're comfortable with. It can't just be an, 'I love everything, coach,' because you're trying to please them. It's got to be on the same page in every single play, every single situation, just knowing what to do. And I've been very vocal the last couple days, and we're going to continue to have great conversations moving forward.

Q: How much do you look at this as an opportunity to sort of resuscitate your career, or maybe show people around the league that, hey, I am a starting NFL quarterback?

J.J. MCCARTHY: Every time you step on the field, it's an opportunity. Whether you're the starting guy, whether you're not, you have a chance to prove yourself, prove it to your peers, and prove it to everyone around you. And at the end of the day, I approach it the same way. How can I attack that next rep, how can I win this day and go from there.

Q: What have the last three weeks been like? Has it been a whirlwind? You came in here the 28th of September, and now you're the starting quarterback…

J.J. MCCARTHY: Yeah, it has been a whirlwind. A lot of change of scenery, a lot of change of language, and meeting so many great, new people. Just a lot of things you have to forget and move on. It's tough when you don't see your family for a long time. It's easier to do that while you're learning a whole new offense, and you have that distraction of just always being busy. But just being here and getting this opportunity, I am just so blessed. And I thank God every single day, I thank the Mara family and this organization for allowing me this opportunity.

Q: Where are you with your comfort level on the playbook?

J.J. MCCARTHY: Extremely comfortable. I mean, great teachers in this building. (Quarterback) Jameis (Winston) has helped me out from the get go since I got here. Coach Nags, Coach Callahan (Quarterbacks Coach Brian Callahan), they've been doing a tremendous job of just making sure I'm up to speed.

Q: Where do you think you've grown the most since you last stepped on the field as a starting quarterback?

J.J. MCCARTHY: Understanding the nature of NFL football. It's extremely different from college football. Just being able to be smart and respond in the right situations, and understand like, 'hey, I can force this here, I shouldn't force this here.' And just kind of having more of a feel of NFL defenses and schemes of the specific coordinators and coaching trees and just compartmentalizing specific stuff and stuff in your offense. A lot of things, but most of those points.

Q: When we had a chance to talk to you for that first time in the locker room your head was still spinning, but you said you were just going to be you. What do you think you've shown this locker room about who J.J. McCarthy is and what do you want people to know where you're at right now?

J.J. MCCARTHY: Hopefully, I've just shown them J.J. McCarthy. Just being able to be myself every day and I'm extremely grateful for them, for me feeling allowed to do that. And just being able to go out there, have fun, sling it around, and work my butt off with these guys. At the end of the day, I hope they experience someone that is working really hard, wants to do whatever he can to be the best version of himself for this team.

Q: Did that fourth quarter last week – you didn't win the game, but you came in down 24, one throw from tying or winning the game. Did that do anything for you? It was certainly a freedom, it was not a normal situation. But did it kind of get your head back to, yeah, this is what I'm about, this is what I can do?

J.J. MCCARTHY: It definitely felt good to be in a competitive game towards the end. Just being out there in an NFL football game, that was really the most gratifying feeling, you put in so much work in the offseason and continue to put in so much work throughout the season. Just to get an opportunity to go out there and execute some football plays when it really matters, it meant the absolute world.

Q: How much do you think your mobility can help the run game here, I know that's something that John's (Head Coach John Harbaugh) talked about, sort of opening up a portion of the playbook that they probably weren't going to use as much with Jameis…

J.J. MCCARTHY: I feel like it just adds multiplicity to where you can attack the defense. It's always doing my job of holding the backside player and making sure that you get that split second to the running back to split that crease and make it a 15-yard gain instead of a six-yard gain. So, there's a lot of different factors that come with things, not just QB run specific, it adds a lot of elements to just the backside stuff, carrying out your keeper fakes on wide zone stuff. Yeah, I definitely feel like that's an element that attacks defenses very well.

Q: Can you compare John and his brother (Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh)?

J.J. MCCARTHY: I can say this, both are made of faith, family, and football, and nothing else. They absolutely love coming in every day and just getting better personally, so they can affect their collective groups. I'm just so blessed to be a part of a family that is led by a Harbaugh. I'm just extremely grateful for Coach Harbaugh and just everything he's done for me and my family. I can't wait to go do it for him every single day.

Quarterback Jameis Winston

Q: You've been through these situations on both sides throughout your career. What have these last few days been like for you to deal with this situation?

JAMEIS WINSTON: Just focusing on one day at a time is the biggest thing. I'm extremely grateful that I still get to do what I love, and that's play football at a high level for the New York Football Giants. And being able to accept roles and understand what is your significant role, how can I be the best at my role with this team, is one of the things that you have to adjust to in this league.

Q: Is there any part of you that says, I think I played well enough not to get benched? Is there any part of you that feels defensive a little bit or proud about why now?

JAMEIS WINSTON: I believe that last game, it wasn't what it was capable of being. I think every single week as a football team, you're defined off of the last time you stepped foot on the field. So, I believe that based off last game, my job is to lead the New York Football Giants to a win, and that didn't happen. So that being said, I understand where I'm at now.

Q: How do you move forward? What's your week been like?

JAMEIS WINSTON: My week has been the same. You move forward by continuing to focus on what you love, and that's my desire is being the starting quarterback for the New York Football Giants. And that's also pointing to those around me and impacting them the best way that I can. Because like I always say, what I want for myself, I want for everyone. So, when I say that, I mean it. So, I go out there and apply it.

Q: Since you got here last year, you were very supportive of a younger quarterback, whether they're getting the job that you continue to work for. This year, since J.J.'s been here, he's had nothing but complimentary things to say about you and how you've helped him. In the NFL, is that a hard thing to understand when you're a younger player, but when you get older you understand? I think you said you spent time serving (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) at times and being the guy who could help a younger guy out.

JAMEIS WINSTON: Yeah, serving leadership is very important in everything that we do. First, by example, out there on the field, how you go about your work, how you apply it in the film room, how you're open and sharing things through your experience that you have encountered. And also just being a listening ear for the young quarterbacks because they haven't had the years of experience that you have had. So, supporting them the best way you possibly can is what I would love for myself when I was a young quarterback. So, I give it back, ten-fold.

Q: What are you doing to support J.J., specifically maybe this week, in understanding the emotions of what you're going through, too, having lost the job?

JAMEIS WINSTON: By being my very best. That's how you support a young man, by coming to work, being the same person every single day, by showing respect and gratitude for the opportunity that he's presented with and the opportunity that I had and understanding that gratitude is the key to abundance in all of this. So, when you come to work and you approach it from a grateful mindset, it kind of leads out to the entire building and nothing really changed but the role itself.

Q: What have you seen from him, J.J.?

JAMEIS WINSTON: Curiosity. He's a very exciting player. Just someone that came in and took the position by the horns and has executed very well and just embraced what it is for a fresh start, coming from Minnesota, now here. I think that's important, and I have a lot of dialogue on what it's like to go from one place to another, and I know how it is to feel like you get a chance to start over again.

Q: You've been in a situation where people have said, Jameis is the best in the world, number one overall, then you have teams move on, and then you have to prove yourself again. Do you see any of that in what J.J. has shown you the last couple weeks about coming here from that new start?

JAMEIS WINSTON: I think being a professional athlete, I encourage every young athlete to continue to get better every single day. Not necessarily proving yourself to others, but proving yourself right in terms of the work, the preparation that you have put in since we've been young kids in this game. There will never be a moment where a player should expect that he's safe. We can never be comfortable in this line of work. We should always remain hungry and determined to improve, and that's where my hunger still lies there. I'm determined to get better and improve.

Q: From a team perspective, Jameis, Harbs (Head Coach John Harbaugh) was just up here saying, we still think we can win this division. We still think we can get to the playoffs. So as a team, how do you guys move forward?

JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, in terms of the team, it is always bigger than an individual piece of the team. So together, we're going to collaborate and find ways to succeed, regardless of the circumstances, conditions, or facts, and that is our focus. We all made the agreement that we signed up to be the best in the division in the hopes to have home field advantage in the playoffs, in the dream and the belief that we can win Super Bowl 61. That's what we signed up for. Every team has a one-year lifespan. So, regardless of injuries or disappointments or even successes, our mind is still on doing what we set out, what our mission was as a team when Coach Harbaugh laid it out in front of us, what was available to us.

Q: Jameis, your readiness doesn't change, does it? Because you never know when you're going to be back in there.

JAMEIS WINSTON: Oh, absolutely. Every day is going to continue to be focused on getting one percent better in terms of preparation, in terms of who I am to my teammates, in terms of being ready when opportunity presents itself when I'm on the field again.