Why the New York Giants’ Quarterback Room is Finally Balanced Heading Into 2026

Prior to the 2025 season, the New York Giants took the approach of adding multiple veteran quarterbacks to the room by signing both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, then trading up in the first round to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

The plan was simple and clear: have two veteran options that can give quality reps while the young quarterback gets up to NFL speed after coming from an offense that was rather unique and not 100% identical to what he ran in the pros.

The way the Giants ended up handling the quarterbacks made little sense. Wilson was handed the starting job with no competition, and Dart was locked in as QB2. This proved to be a mistake, as Wilson was the one in decline and with a lower ceiling.

Hindsight is 20/20, but we would have preferred for Dart to have just been thrown in there with Winston as the safety net. But with jobs on the line, the Giants were looking to hit the ground running and win, which didn’t happen, leading to some of those jobs being lost.

But it’s fair to say that the Giants’ quarterback universe is finally balanced, with Dart as the starter and Winston, the quirky one, as his backup.

Jameis Winston, QB

Height: 6-4
Weight: 231
EXP: 12 Years
School: Florida State
How Acquired: FA-’25

2025 in Review

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winston spent the spring and summer as the backup quarterback, but his real impact came as a leader in the locker room.

Throughout the year, as things got rocky, Winston was a consistent presence that had been through the rigors of disappointing seasons before as a starting quarterback so was a stabilizing presence in the room.

Winston played in all three preseason games for the Giants in 2025 and completed 56.7% of his passes for 219 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception.

In the regular season, Winston didn’t make an appearance until Dart suffered a concussion in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears.

Winston would start the following two games against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, completing 37 of 65 passes for 56.9%, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while also rushing for 23 yards and a touchdown.

He also had a 33-yard receiving touchdown on a trick play against the Lions that involved him breaking multiple tackles.

The only other time that Winston appeared in 2025 would be to throw one pass against the Washington Commanders, which fell incomplete.

Winston’s film showed that he still has some of the same traits that made him the first overall pick in 2015 - the arm talent, the ability to navigate the pocket and extend plays, as well as that same mentality to challenge defenses vertically.

Contract/Cap Info

The Giants signed Winston to a two-year contract worth $8 million, with $ 5.25 million fully guaranteed at signing. His deal also includes incentives that will boost his earnings if he has to take on the starting quarterback role for any period.

Winston should be viewed as completely safe heading into the summer as not just the primary backup quarterback, but as a veteran presence in the room and one of the more respected leaders in the locker room.

If the Giants were to part ways with Winston, they would create $2.7 million in cap space while also eating $2.3 million in dead money.

The $5 million that Winston is set to make in 2026 is something most teams are willing to pay for a quality backup as an insurance policy, as opposed to bargain bin shopping and essentially punting on the season if one’s QB1 gets injured.

While creating $2.7 million in cap space could be helpful for the Giants if they wanted to have some cap flexibility throughout the year, the financial incentives don’t benefit the Giants enough to make a move.

2026 Preview

In an ideal world, Giants fans don’t hear Winston’s name called much through the 2026 season.

While he’s still someone who can create big plays and contribute to an offense, this is Dart’s offense and Dart’s team.

Any Winston appearance would mean that there’s a blowout going on in either direction, or a much worse alternative: Dart is either struggling majorly or injured.

If Winston were to make an appearance in 2026, he should still be able to provide quality reps that keep the Giants competitive enough to win until Dart returns to the team.

Whether or not Winston touches the field at all this year, the real expectation for him is to show up as a leader once again, who can provide a stabilizing presence through what could once again be a tumultuous season.

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