Jameis Winston is preparing to make his presence felt in New York and possibly bring some victories to the Giants as well.
The 31-year-old quarterback has agreed to terms with the New York Giants on a two-year contract valued at $8 million, according to sources close to the deal, as reported by the Associated Press.
“Start spreading the neWs” Winston posted on his X account Friday, referencing his famous “Eat a W” pregame speech from his time with Tampa Bay in 2017. He added an apple emoji, which seemed to confirm his arrival in the Big Apple.
Winston will join Tommy DeVito as the only quarterbacks currently on the Giants’ roster. The team had been actively seeking a veteran quarterback, with other names like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco mentioned as potential targets.
A source, speaking anonymously due to the team’s lack of an official announcement, confirmed the deal to the AP. Fox Sports was the first to report that Winston’s contract could reach as much as $16 million, depending on performance incentives.
The Giants’ quarterback situation has been uncertain this offseason, with DeVito being the only move made since free agency started. The team had shown interest in Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was granted permission to explore trade options but ended up agreeing to a restructured deal with Los Angeles.
New York also appeared to be waiting on 41-year-old Rodgers, who had spent the last two seasons with the Jets but was released on March 13. Rodgers, who has yet to confirm whether he will return for a 21st NFL season, met with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, signaling mutual interest. After spending hours at the team’s facility, he left without signing a contract.
Russell Wilson, who played for Pittsburgh last season, also remains a free agent, with his next move possibly depending on Rodgers’ decision.
The Giants kept exploring their options, reportedly meeting with Winston, Wilson, and Flacco. With Winston now signed, they still hold the No. 3 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, meaning a top quarterback like Cam Ward from Miami or Shedeur Sanders from Colorado could still be a possibility.
Winston played in 12 games for Cleveland last season, starting seven after Deshaun Watson was injured. He passed for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Winston set a Browns record with 497 passing yards and four touchdowns against Denver in Week 13, though he also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns in a 41-32 loss.
Before his time with the Browns, Winston spent four years in New Orleans as a backup.
Winston was selected No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL Draft after playing at Florida State. He had a strong start to his NFL career, finishing second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Todd Gurley and surpassing 4,000 passing yards in each of his first two seasons. However, his struggles with consistency and turnovers became an issue.
In 2019, Winston led the league with 5,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, but he also threw a career-high 30 interceptions, leading the NFL in that category during his final season as the Buccaneers’ starter.
He signed with the Saints in 2020 to back up Drew Brees and re-signed the following year after Brees retired. Winston started seven games in 2021 before a torn ACL ended his season. A back injury in the next season limited him to being Andy Dalton’s backup. In 2023, Winston re-signed with the Saints, serving as Derek Carr’s backup.
In his 10 NFL seasons, Winston has thrown for 24,225 yards, 154 touchdowns, and 111 interceptions.
