J.J. McCarthy’s running capability comes with cautionary caveat for Giants

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Cite

Schwartz, P. (2026, October 25). J.J. McCarthy’s running capability comes with cautionary caveat for Giants. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/24/sports/giants-j-j-mccarthys-running-capability-comes-with-cautionary-caveat/

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New York Post · collected 2026-10-25 · by Paul Schwartz

Quick Summary

J.J. McCarthy, who replaced Jameis Winston as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants, is expected to improve the team's running game due to his own rushing ability. However, concerns arise over his injury history, which includes tearing his meniscus and suffering multiple sprains in recent years. The article highlights the importance of balancing McCarthy’s contributions with managing his physical risks to ensure long-term durability for the team.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-25, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

The New York Giants added quarterback J.J. McCarthy to their starting lineup, hoping to improve their running game against the Houston Texans on Sunday. While McCarthy is a more dangerous runner than his predecessor Jameis Winston, his participation raises concerns due to his history of frequent injuries. At just 23 years old, McCarthy has already missed significant portions of two seasons because of various injuries, including a torn meniscus in his rookie year that required knee surgery, and a high ankle sprain in Week 2 of the 2025 season which sidelined him for five games. Additionally, he was out with a concussion and a hairline fracture in his right hand during different parts of the same season. Despite these issues, some believe McCarthy's running ability could positively impact the Giants' offensive performance if he can stay healthy.

Written for “Jj McCarthy's Running Ability” on 2026-10-25, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 105034 · logged 2026-10-25

Story

📰 Jj McCarthy's Running Ability
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 7% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 7% hedged 2 of 29 📰 publisher trust 66
“The articles discuss J.J. McCarthy's role change with the Giants but describe different aspects and times related to his transition and potential impact on Sunday's game against the Texans.”
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 8% hedged 3 of 37 📰 publisher trust 66
“While both articles discuss J.J. McCarthy's potential impact on the Giants' playbook and rushing attack, they describe different aspects of his involvement at distinct points in time.”
Toronto Star
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 8% hedged 1 of 12 📰 publisher trust 64
“The articles describe different aspects of J.J. McCarthy becoming the starting quarterback for the Giants, but occur on different dates around the decision and its implications.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
28
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
7%
2 of 28 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-25 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 13685 article(s) · 34 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 34 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Paul Schwartz
45 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 It is definitely possible that the addition of J.J. McCarthy in the starting lineup will help the Giants get back to the business of running the ball at an acceptable rate, perhaps as soon as Sunday against the Texans.
🔮 There was an expectation Holland would be able to clear the protocol and make it back for this game, as he was able to get on the field and practice on a limited basis Thursday and Friday.
🔮 The Giants had been 3-0 at MetLife Stadium but could not get to 4-0 at home for the first time since 2008.
🔮 The Saints could not run the ball, nor could they stop the run.
🔮 Just because they wanted to do it and were determined to establish that this would be their identity did not make it so.
🔮 Even though the Giants hired John Harbaugh, there were not many great expectations for how they would fare this season from outside the building.
🔮 The thinking is the trailing team will need 15 points to win the game, so go for two after the first touchdown and if you do not get it, go for two after the second touchdown.
🔮 There is also no doubt the Giants were incredibly fortunate that the Commanders in the final minute of overtime offered a What Not To Do tutorial to anyone watching who could not believe their eyes.
🔮 I obviously could probably make a move here and there, but sometimes it’s better for the team, beating up on the other team, lowering the shoulder.
🔮 But what about the emotional wounds that might take a few weeks to clear from the psyches?
Also by Paul Schwartz
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 45 articles by Paul Schwartz →

Topics

Giants HOUSTON NFL Sports+ Texans

Subjects

Giants ORG · 7× McCarthy PERSON · 5× HOUSTON GPE · 2× J.J. McCarthy PERSON · 1× Jameis Winston PERSON · 1× NFL ORG · 1× Paul Schwartz PERSON · 1× Sports+ ORG · 1× Texans ORG · 1× Vikings ORG · 1×

Narrative

Patrick Ricard, the 300-pound blocking fullback, called that “embarrassing to me’’ and said “any decent type of run game’’ must have at least 100 yards. “It’s been disappointing not being able to run the ball,’’ Ricard told The Post.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-25
🔮 It is definitely possible that the addition of J.J. McCarthy in the starting lineup will help the Giants get back to the business of running the ball at an acceptable rate, perhaps as soon as Sunday against the Texans.
2026-10-25 · New York Post
J.J. McCarthy’s running capability comes with cautionary caveat for Giants · assertive framing

Claims (28 extracted, 2 hedged)

It is definitely possible that the addition of J.J. McCarthy in the starting lineup will help the Giants get back to the business of running the ball at an acceptable rate, perhaps as soon as Sunday against the Texans. asserted
Giants → help → Texans
McCarthy is a far more dangerous threat as a runner than Jameis Winston, the quarterback he replaced. asserted
he → replace → Winston
It is also definitely possible that having McCarthy as part of the rushing attack will put him at greater physical risk and that might be concerning. uncertain
that → have → risk
In his brief time in the NFL, McCarthy, 23, has shown an inability to avoid injuries of all shapes, sizes and severity. asserted
McCarthy → show → shapes
Access the Giants like never before Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. asserted
Access → access → subscribers
tRY IT NOWHe missed his entire 2024 rookie season when he tore his meniscus in his first preseason game and needed knee surgery. asserted
he → try → surgery
He went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 2 in 2025, missing five games. asserted
He → go → games
He missed one game in concussion protocol and missed another game that same season when he suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand in a Week 16 game against the Giants. asserted
he → miss → Giants
This past August, he could not play in the final preseason game for the Vikings because of a sprained ankle. uncertain
he → play → ankle
Knowing when to take off, when to slide and how to protect himself will all be vital elements to McCarthy’s durability. asserted
Knowing → know → durability
When used judiciously, his ability to operate in the run-pass option world should open lanes for the running backs, a group that has been among the biggest disappointments on the roster. asserted
that → use → roster
ILB Tremaine Edmunds is done for the season with a shoulder injury, a huge loss for a defense already playing without edge rusher Brian Burns, who suffered a knee injury in Week 3 to land on season-ending injured reserve. asserted
who → do → reserve
Edmunds led the team in tackles (50) and was on the field for all 380 snaps in the first six games. asserted
Edmunds → lead → games
His replacement is Micah McFadden, who will make his first start since the 2025 opener. asserted
who → make → opener
He suffered a serious foot injury in that game and missed the remainder of that season. asserted
He → suffer → season
McFadden started 35 games for the Giants in his first three years. asserted
McFadden → start → years
Safety Jevón Holland was downgraded to out. asserted
Holland → downgrade → out
He had been listed as questionable with a concussion. asserted
He → list → concussion
TE Theo Johnson (neck) was ruled out and did not make the trip. asserted
Johnson → rule → trip
The Giants in last week’s loss to the Saints managed to get only 34 rushing yards in 14 attempts from their running backs. asserted
Giants → manage → backs
Patrick Ricard, the 300-pound blocking fullback, called that “embarrassing to me’’ and said “any decent type of run game’’ must have at least 100 yards. “It’s been disappointing not being able to run the ball,’’ Ricard told The Post. asserted
Ricard → block → Post
“That’s the reason I’m here, and for us as a team not to be able to do it, it’s extremely frustrating. asserted
it → ’ → it
I take accountability. asserted
I → take → accountability
I feel like I need to do better.’’ asserted
I → feel → ?
WR Jalin Hyatt was activated from the practice squad for the first time this season. asserted
Hyatt → activate → time
McCarthy’s first start for the Giants comes in a place with pleasant memories for him. asserted
start → come → him
On Jan. 8, 2024, he won the national championship with Michigan at NRG Stadium, beating Washington 34-13. asserted
he → win → Washington
“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,’’ McCarthy said. asserted
McCarthy → go → that
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