Unpacking the Jameis Winston Signing: What’s Next for the Giants at Quarterback?

The Giants added Jameis Winston to their quarterback room, but they're not done yet addressing the position. So what is the next puzzle piece?

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) throws the ball during warm ups before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field Stadium. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The New York Giants’ signing of quarterback Jameis Winston has brought some relief to Giants Nation.

On the surface, adding the 31-year-old Winston to a two-year contract worth a reported $8 million, which can double in value if he meets all of his incentives, sets the Giants up perfectly to draft their future quarterback next month.

But the twists and turns of the Giants’ quarterback saga this offseason don’t necessarily suggest that it's a foregone conclusion that the Giants will definitely draft one of Cam Ward (unlikely to be there at No. 3), Shedeur Sanders, or even Jaxson Dart.  

This isn’t to say they won’t, but let’s examine what has transpired with the Giants quarterback situation so far this offseason.

Going All Out on Matthew Stafford

The Giants were willing to do what it took to acquire Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, but he ultimately chose to stay with the Rams. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

It all began with Giants general manager Joe Schoen telling reporters at the combine that the quarterback position was “the most important” one on a football team and that he intended to add a veteran in addition to Tommy DeVito, then an exclusive rights free agent who wasn’t going anywhere, to the team’s otherwise barren quarterbacks room.

The reason for this went beyond adding depth. Schoen believed that having an experienced veteran serve as a mentor was important. 

And Schoen, who along with head coach Brian Daboll is under immense pressure to win games if the pair is to see the fifth and final year of their respective contracts, knew that getting the right veteran quarterback into the building would give them a chance against a schedule that features a brutal list of opponents from the NFC North, AFC West, and NFC East–all divisions that sent multiple teams (including the two Super Bowl participants) to the postseason. 

But then came word that the Giants were going all out to acquire veteran Matthew Stafford from the Rams, a guy they wanted so badly that they were reportedly willing to surrender draft assets and meet Stafford’s salary demands only to have Stafford decide to stay in Los Angeles. 

Still, that whole adventure was revealing. For one, there is no chance that the Giants were willing to invest the money AND the draft assets in Stafford if the intention was to have him keep the seat warm this coming season for a rookie. That simply made no sense.

It’s also fair to wonder if that move tipped the Giants’ hand as to what they thought of the quarterback class at the time.

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Enter Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson

The Giants and quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a mutual interest in each other, but in recent days, it looks like Rodgers might be heading to the Steelers. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Stafford's dream dying on the vine, reports began to emerge of the Giants’ interest in Aaron Rodgers, who was being set free into the free agency arena for the first time in his career. 

Again, keeping in mind the Giants objective of needing to win games while also having a veteran who has just about seen it all, the mercurial Rodgers made sense from a football perspective.

Rodgers not only drew interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he also seems to be in no rush to decide where he wants to play in 2025–assuming he even wants to play.

The Steelers have reportedly worked out contract parameters with Rodgers, who visited their facility for what is believed to be the first time on Friday. 

But a deal has yet to be formalized, as Rodgers continues to seek answers from within himself about whether he’d look good in the Steelers' black and gold or the Giants' blue.  

That brings us to Russell Wilson, who last offseason had a cup of coffee with the Giants. The Giants foolishly told him that they were committed to letting Daniel Jones reclaim the starting role once he was healed from a torn ACL rather than opening up the starting job to competition. 

Wilson, who had been dumped by the Broncos just months prior, was seeking to prove he was still a viable starting quarterback, so he took his talents to Pittsburgh. There, he competed against Justin Fields and did enough to earn more than just a handful of starting assignments.  

With Rodgers trying to decide his next move, Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Jameis Winston all met with the Giants just in case. And with Rodgers continuing to take his time, the Giants decided to make a move by adding Winston to the roster in the interim.

Quarterback Problem Solved, Right?

Quarterback Russell Wilson is reportedly still in play for the Giants despite their having signed Jameis Winston. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not exactly. Yes, Winston gives the Giants experience. One look at his contract–again, two years for $8 million with a max value of $16 million—screams “backup.” White, the full details/structure aren’t yet known, but it reminds me of the two-year, $11 million deal the Giants signed Tyrod Taylor to back in 2022.

That deal, broken down here, included a base salary, a signing bonus, an annual workout bonus, and pay-time-related incentives that “adjusted” the yearly earnings so that if Taylor simply held a clipboard, he was paid one rate. Still, if he stepped in as QB1, he was paid closer to a starter’s salary. 

Winston’s deal is probably structured in the same way, though unlike Taylor’s contract, which had guaranteed money in both years, it’s unknown if the Giants did the same for Winston (though it’s doubtful in this instance).

QB dominoes starting to fall - sort of. Latest on Rodgers, Wilson and #Titans on @SportsCenter with @RandyScottESPN pic.twitter.com/YJn7vHsEIs

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 22, 2025

So What Does This All Mean? 

If New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is to keep his job, he and general manager Joe Schoen better get the quarterback situation right this year. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Despite the lack of options in this year’s quarterback class, it would be an absolute stunner (much like how in last year’s draft, it was a stunner that the Giants didn’t take a flier on a quarterback) if the Giants declined to draft a signal caller. 

The idea, as was believed to have been the case last year but which is even more urgent this year, is to have a rookie sit behind the veteran and acclimate until he’s truly ready to step in.  

But here is the wildcard. If the Giants were so willing to trade away assets and pay Matthew Stafford, and if they are so willing to shell out what is likely to be big money for Aaron Rodgers, what would that say about how they feel about the quarterback class? 

If they were so sure there was a Jayden Daniels (who remember head coach Brian Daboll said on last year’s Hard Knocks he’d trade up for) in this year’s class, would trading away assets and shelling out big money to a veteran even be in the discussion for a regime that is already under pressure to win games?

Again, this isn’t to say the Giants won’t draft a quarterback, but it’s not a slam dunk that they do so at No. 3 unless, since the failed Stafford acquisition, they’ve had a change of heart about the quarterbacks who are expected to be there for them when they go on the clock at No. 3. 

In the interim, the Giants continue to wait for Rodgers to make a decision, and yes, even Wilson remains a possibility, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. 

In other words, stay tuned.

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