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J.J. McCarthy proved he was capable of running the ball when necessary while with the Minnesota Vikings last season. The 2024 first-round draft pick already has shown that he can be productive with his legs during his brief tenure with the New York Giants, and he might need to do it again when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season.
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McCarthy, who was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, sat out his entire rookie season with the Vikings due to a knee injury. He began the 2025 campaign as Minnesota's starting quarterback following Sam Darnold's departure as a free agent and appeared in just 10 games as he missed time with a sprained ankle, concussion and fractured hand.
When he was on the field, McCarthy was effective running the football. The 23-year-old gained 181 yards on 37 carries for an average of 4.9 yards and rushed for 20 or more yards on four occasions.
Acquired by the Giants in late September after Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending knee injury, McCarthy saw fourth-quarter action in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints and ran twice 26 yards. He made his first start for New York the following week and had just one carry for one yard but likely will run more in Philadelphia as top running back Cam Skattebo is unlikely to play because of a hamstring injury.
The Eagles, who are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, have allowed the opposing quarterback to gain more than 10 yards on the ground in only three of their first eight contests this year. However, a pair of those were against an NFC East rival, as Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders rushed for 31 and 23 yards in their two meetings. Top sportsbooks have set Sunday's rushing yards prop for McCarthy at 18.5 yards.
Before you play a side on McCarthy or any player prop for Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season, you need to see what SportsLine player prop expert PropBetGuy has to say. The expert went 131-101 at SportsLine during the 2025 NFL season and entered this year with a career 57% record on NFL player props.
You NEED to see the PropBetGuy's best bets and the players you need to back (or fade) in Week 9 below before deciding on your own player prop picks.
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