Jameis Winston is ready to take on New York and potentially help the Giants secure some victories.
The 31-year-old quarterback has agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the Giants, according to sources familiar with the agreement.
Winston joins Tommy DeVito as the only quarterbacks currently on the Giants’ roster. The team has been actively searching for a veteran quarterback in free agency, with names like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco also mentioned as possible targets.
The team has not officially confirmed the deal, but it was reported that Winston’s contract could reach up to $16 million with incentives.
Winston took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his excitement, writing, “Start spreading the neWs,” referencing his famous “Eat a W” pregame speech with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017, and adding an apple emoji to signal his arrival in the Big Apple.
New York’s quarterback situation has been uncertain this offseason, with the only move at the position so far being the re-signing of Tommy DeVito. The team had shown interest in Matthew Stafford of the Rams, who was allowed to explore trade options. However, Stafford ultimately agreed to a restructured contract with Los Angeles.
The Giants seemed to be waiting on 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who spent the last two seasons with the Jets but was released on March 13.
Rodgers, who has yet to confirm if he’ll return for a 21st NFL season, met with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, showing mutual interest. He spent several hours at the team’s facility gathering information but left without signing a contract.
Russell Wilson, who played for Pittsburgh last season, also remains a free agent, and his next move could depend on what Rodgers decides.
The Giants have continued to explore their options at quarterback and recently met with Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco. Now, they have secured Winston to join Tommy DeVito on the roster. Additionally, with the No. 3 pick in next month’s NFL Draft, the Giants could still be considering top quarterback prospects like Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Winston played in 12 games for Cleveland last season, starting seven after Deshaun Watson’s injury. He threw for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In Week 13, he set a Browns record with 497 passing yards and four touchdowns against Denver, though he also threw three interceptions—two of which were returned for touchdowns—in a 41-32 loss.
Before joining Cleveland, Winston spent four years in New Orleans as primarily a backup.
Winston was selected by Tampa Bay as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft after playing at Florida State. He started his career strong, finishing second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Rams running back Todd Gurley, and surpassed 4,000 passing yards in each of his first two seasons. However, he struggled with consistency, and his interception issues in key moments became a challenge throughout his career.
In 2019, Winston threw for a league-high 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, but also led the NFL with a career-high 30 interceptions in his final season as the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback. He signed with the Saints in 2020 to serve as Drew Brees’ backup and re-signed with the team the following offseason after Brees announced his retirement.
Winston started seven games in 2021 before a torn ACL cut his season short. In the following season, a back injury limited his play as he became the backup to Andy Dalton. In 2023, he re-signed with the Saints again, this time serving as Derek Carr’s backup.
Over the course of his 10 NFL seasons, Winston has thrown for 24,225 yards, 154 touchdowns, and 111 interceptions.
