NY Giants Jameis Winston Shares How What He’s Learned Might Help Jaxson Dart

NY Giants quarterback Jameis Winston has learned many lessons throughout his career, which could aid in rookie Jaxson Dart's development.

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston has had many trials and tribulations throughout his football career, but has grown since his hectic college days.

Ahead of his senior season in Tallahassee, Winston faced multiple off-the-field issues. There was the infamous scandal, where Winston stole crab legs from a Publix supermarket. He was also suspended for the first game of the season due to shouting an obscene sexual phrase on campus.

He learned from there that this type of behavior wouldn't fly in NFL locker rooms and quickly changed the way he acted.

"Immediately, I grew from a decision-making standpoint, because I knew there were some things that I could not do. Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial," Winston told Ryan Clark for The Pivot podcast.

"In terms of just me, who I am, I just changed through patience of not being a person that reacts to certain situations, but learning how to respond, learning how to let something play out in front of me before I just be the person out in front

Since then, Winston has learned many lessons from his time at Florida State and his 10-year NFL career, but none more important than the advice he received from his quarterback coach, Damian Craig.

"He said this about me one time, and he kind of stuck with me. He's like, man, you're fearless, but at some point, you gonna have to feel the consequences. Just because you're a dog or you want to do this, there're still gonna be consequences for everything that you do. And, you gotta fear those more than you want to be fearless."

Jameis Winston is a good human, but his wife recently asked why are people just now recognizing it.. He entered the NFL with a less than stellar reputation, & much of that was his own doing. He’s learned being permissible doesn’t make it beneficial

He has always been fearless.… pic.twitter.com/vRCI42ELUc

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) July 31, 2025

The 31-year-old was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the Buccaneers in 2015 and spent six seasons as the starting quarterback before leaving in free agency and signing with the Saints in a backup role.

Since his time in Tampa Bay, Winston has been unable to hold a starting gig but has become a fan favorite for his charisma and comedic relief in the locker room and among the media. This has allowed him to remain in the league as a backup with multiple teams, which now includes the Giants.

How Winston can help Jaxson Dart in his rookie season

New York Giants quarterbacks Jaxson Dart (6) and Jameis Winston (19) perform a handshake together. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The main lesson Winston has learned throughout his career is that patience is a virtue. This is something he should instill in Jaxson Dart during his rookie season.

Unlike Winston, who was ensured the starting quarterback role after being drafted, Dart will need patience right off the bat as he is penciled in as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. He is expected to continue developing this season and not receive playing time, something no player wants to hear.

Dart has received second-team reps in training camp and found his stride on Day 4, but like any rookie quarterback adjusting to the NFL, he has had ups and downs.

While Winston can help Dart with patience during his long developmental process, he has also been telling Dart to keep bad practices in the rearview mirror and move on to the next day.

“I tell him it’s one day at a time. The NFL is the only league where yesterday and tomorrow don’t matter,” he said. 

“I tell him all of the time, ‘Hey man, it’s a new day. Be grateful for it. Be glad and rejoice in it.’ Because literally, that’s the NFL. One play at a time, one day at a time, and that’s all you can focus on.”

Aside from off-the-field advice, Winston, along with starting quarterback Russell Wilson, has plenty of advice to share with Dart, including how to read defenses, shift offensive line protection, and many other words of wisdom. Dart is in good hands with this quarterback room.

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