The New York Giants are reportedly in the process of adding a veteran quarterback to their roster, but it is not one of the two big names — Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson — that have been attached to them the most.
It is Jameis Winston.
According to a report from Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, the Giants and Winston are in the process of finalizing a two-year, $8M contract that could be worth as much as $16M with incentives.
Winston had an appropriate tweet after the news emerged:
It’s an interesting move because the quarterback market seemed to be waiting on Rodgers to make a decision on where he wanted to play — or if he wanted to play — before anybody else would sign.
Obviously, the Giants and Winston were tired of waiting.
But it also does not completely satisfy the Giants’ needs at the position, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that it does not mean the Giants are done adding quarterbacks to their roster this offseason.
Tommy DeVito was the only quarterback on the roster prior to the Winston deal.
That could still leave them as a possibility for Rodgers or Wilson, while taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft also seems like a possibility if either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders is available to them with the No. 3 overall pick.
Winston’s contract is extremely cheap for a quarterback and is basically backup money. They could easily bring in somebody else and not have his contract be a liability.
Winston spent the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns, starting seven games and winning two of them. He threw 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with an 80.6 passer rating. Overall, those are pretty low-level numbers and hardly anything that should excite a fan base if you are looking at him as a starter.
Winston has always been an extremely boom-or-bust player who is capable of putting together all-world performances while also turning the ball over way too often. He can win you some games. He will lose you some games.
Now, the question becomes how many games the Giants will actually see him play. If they go the draft route, Winston could end up starting in Week 1. If they still have a desire to add Rodgers or Wilson, he might find himself on the bench to open the season.
