For a brief time in March — four days, to be exact — much of the football world perceived the Giants’ acquisition of Jameis Winston as their stopgap quarterback solution for the 2025 season. But, by the fifth day, that was clearly a premature jump to conclusions.
The Giants welcomed another veteran free agent into their quarterback room once Winston agreed to terms, as Russell Wilson entered the fold as the new presumed starter and offensive leader. The former Super Bowl champion was offered more money and guarantees. The fanbase was offered a little more clarity on the short-term plan.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen reaffirmed the pecking order at the NFL league meetings Monday, stating that Wilson will receive first-team reps this spring. This leaves Winston as the backup to yet another team, but the decision didn’t catch the former first-overall pick by surprise. He was prepared for the outcome.
“I knew a free-agent signing was going to come, or maybe even a draft pick was going to come. But that’s their business,” Winston said during his first media availability with the team Monday. “My business is today, and today I have the privilege of finally becoming a Giant… I don’t believe in coincidences. The interest that brought me to New York was the fact that there was a quarterback room they were looking to get better. I saw that window of opportunity.”
With the addition of Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with $10.5 million guaranteed last week, that window of opportunity for Winston has already shrunk. The Giants prefer the more seasoned, trustworthy quarterback to lead an offense that’s lacked identity and efficiency for years. Neither signal-caller was atop the franchise’s wish list, but the tandem is an upgrade nonetheless.
Jameis Winston is excited to play in New York:
“The Big Apple is the biggest city in the world with the greatest fans in the world as well” pic.twitter.com/VnrBXFpH9n
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) March 31, 2025
New York is counting on Wilson to stretch the field with his deep ball and develop a rapport with phenom receiver Malik Nabers, among others. Winston will watch as standby insurance, and there’s certainly a chance he sees playing time if Wilson develops an injury or performs poorly. Behind them is fan favorite Tommy DeVito, now dispensable.
The new quarterback group has plenty of personality. Wilson and Winston are characters in their own right who don’t mind the cameras and microphones. But the Giants don’t have to worry about unhealthy competition between them once training camp arrives. Winston has built a solid relationship with Wilson that dates back years.
“He was one of the quarterbacks who allowed me to take a look into how he ran his enterprise, ran his business,” Winston said. “How he took care of his body, how he trained, and what he did to go into his mental approach… Our mental approach can be very similar because one of my mental coaches was definitely life-changing for him and very influential for me as well.”
Winston, entering his age-31 season and 11th in the league, played 12 games (seven starts) as the Cleveland Browns’ backup in 2024. He lived up to his often reckless gunslinger reputation, completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,121 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
There wasn’t a high demand for Wilson in free agency, considering that the Giants are his third team in as many years. But he still has some gas left in the tank — he threw for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.
Only time will tell if the Giants make their quarterback room even bigger. They hold the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, and rumors across the league have linked them to top prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders for months. So, Winston behind Wilson is the arrangement until it isn’t.
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