J.J. McCarthy received his trade from the Minnesota Vikings, who traded him to theNew York Giants. Three games down on New York’s roster, he has now gained the trust after winning his first game as a starter in the Giants’ squad. Suddenly, he found himself in the same conversation when former New York quarterback David Carr mentioned an 11x Pro Bowler.

“Can he hone in and like keep away from the mistakes and still be aggressive?” David Carr said on the Home Grown Podcast with brother Derek Carr. “Right now, we’re looking at freaking Brett Favre out there. Minus the mistakes. He’s pushing it vertical, bro. He’s not scared.”

Carr’s comparison hinged on McCarthy’s ability to play aggressively without the interceptions that plagued former Green Bay Packers quarterback Favre. No matter how much risk it carried, Favre held a gunslinger attitude. He was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw more than 30 touchdown passes in five separate seasons. The Packers quarterback secured the milestone against the Tennessee Oilers in a 30-22 win, throwing three touchdown passes before the break, all caught by Antonio Freeman.

McCarthy shares some similar traits when it comes to making big-boy throws like Favre. He completed 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards against the Houston Texans. McCarthy brought a different dimension to the Giants’ offense, which finished with 420 total yards. His two 40-plus-yard plays in the first quarter highlighted his ability to push the ball downfield, while his arm velocity and precise ball placement allowed the offense to threaten defenses across the field.

But Favre’s high-risk, high-reward approach also led him to force passes into tight windows and make off-platform throws.

The former Packers quarterback admitted that he sometimes found it difficult to be patient when a play broke down. His impatience occasionally surfaced when the offense prioritized the ground game, leading him to take matters into his own hands and attempt ambitious downfield throws. That’s why he held the NFL all-time career record with 336 regular-season interceptions.

But when it comes to McCarthy’s stint in New York, unlike Favre, he holds a gunslinger mentality yet avoids mistakes that come with aggressive plays. He made timely passes and made no mistakes even though the outing came with hitting multiple difficult throws.

For instance, McCarthy fired an accurate back-shoulder pass to Malik Nabers near the sideline. The quarterback held the safety in place, leaving the receiver with a one-on-one opportunity. His throw toward the outside allowed Nabers to adjust his body, locate the ball, and make the catch, paving the way for Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s touchdown.

David Carr’s comparison came years after Phil Perry and Scott Zolak drew parallels between Favre and McCarthy on the 98.5 The Sports Hub podcast in 2024.

“There’s sort of like a (Johnny) Manziel or (Brett) Favre type quality to him,” shared Zolak.

“Gunslinger?” questioned Perry.

“I don’t know how to term it. It’s different. It’s not structured. I can hand it off, I can bootleg it, I can scramble, I can run quarterback keeper, I can block on a reverse,” Zolak added. “Like a little bit of everything where it’s just you play with a little bit of an edge. Meaning Manziel and Favre would play with an edge now. Now, Favre would be all over the place, a little scattered. I’m not saying that McCarthy plays scattered, but I think there’s an element of toughness in sort of improvising on the run on certain plays.”

No player before Favre had reached 500 career passing touchdowns, 70,000 passing yards, 6,000 completions, or 300 interceptions. He also made history by winning three consecutive MVP awards. Given the standard set for McCarthy, it’s time to see what the quarterback can do with Brett Favre-like traits.

The post “We’re Looking at Freaking Brett Favre”: Ex-Giants QB Makes Bold Statement About J.J. McCarthy Amid Strong Start appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.