The Jameis Winston contract was the tell.
Once the terms of the quarterback’s deal — two years, $8 million — were publicized Friday night, it became clear how the New York Giants saw him: as a backup.
They were (rightly) never going to feel completely comfortable with the 31-year-old Winston serving as their starter for the full duration of an NFL season. Winston hasn’t done that job since 2019. Even this past season, playing in more games (12) than he has since 2019, Winston was as maddeningly inconsistent as ever. He went 2-5 as the Cleveland Browns’ starter, throwing 13 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Though he still might have been an upgrade over what the Giants have had at the position, they knew they needed a more dependable plan at QB if this season was going to be markedly better than the two disastrous seasons that came before it — and if this regime of general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll is going to remain at the helm, it has to be.
The second piece of their plan came together Tuesday night with the signing of Russell Wilson to a one-year deal worth $10.5 million guaranteed and up to $21 million with incentives. The 36-year-old Wilson isn’t the difference-maker he once was, but the Super Bowl champion should provide the Giants something they haven’t had at quarterback in a while: stability.
Been here before… can’t wait to do it again. #MetLife @Giants pic.twitter.com/6BevBmOLKW
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 26, 2025
Wilson, along with Winston, could provide them with a solid enough foundation at quarterback to give them a realistic shot at competing again in 2025 — practically a mandate from ownership — as they prepare to try to solidify the future at the position in April’s NFL Draft.
Win and build for the future? It’s a tough needle to thread, but the Giants seem to be embracing what Wilson’s former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, pulled off last season — with a potential twist. Like the Steelers, they’ve acquired two capable veteran quarterbacks in hopes that one (or both) can help lead them back to the playoffs. Unlike Pittsburgh, however, New York has a top draft selection this year and could use that pick to select a quarterback it believes could be the long-term future of the franchise.
But let’s focus on the Wilson-Winston strategy for a moment. To recap what happened in Pittsburgh last year: The Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year, $1.2 million deal after the Denver Broncos cut him last offseason. About a week later, they acquired Justin Fields for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick from the Chicago Bears. Fields started the first six games of the season due to a Wilson injury and played well enough to keep the Steelers (4-2) in the hunt before Wilson returned and gave Pittsburgh’s offense another gear — at least for a time. By the end of the season, the offense fell into a funk, as the Steelers suffered through a four-game losing streak before being bounced in the wild-card round.
Still, in 11 games, Wilson threw for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns with just five interceptions as the Steelers ultimately won 10 games with a middle-of-the-pack offense (22.4 points per game, 16th in the NFL). And though they’re aiming for more this season, the Giants would be thrilled with that kind of performance in 2025. Considering what the Giants have produced lately — 31st scoring offense in 2024 and 30th in 2023 — getting to league average would be a huge improvement. A league-average offense with an improved defense could, theoretically, put the Giants in the wild-card hunt, and that would be a huge step in the right direction for a regime that needs to produce wins. Remember, Giants co-owner John Mara said he’s “just about run out of patience” with all the losing, so playing meaningful games in December would be big for Schoen and Daboll.
Replicating the Steelers’ success isn’t just about getting acceptable quarterback play. They have a great defense and one of the best coaches in the NFL in Mike Tomlin, among other factors. But the point remains that this formula worked for the Steelers last season, and it could work for the Giants this year. Put another way: Given the Giants’ other options after missing out on Matthew Stafford and presumably Aaron Rodgers, this is a decent bet to make for 2025.
However, it is important to remember that unlike the Steelers, who picked 20th in last year’s draft, the Giants have a chance to supplement their dual-veteran QB strategy with a promising rookie.
And they should. Signing another veteran QB should not affect how the Giants approach the draft. If they have an opportunity to select a player they believe can be a franchise-caliber quarterback with their No. 3 pick (or by trading up), they should not hesitate to do it.
Of course, with the quarterback-needy Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns picking in front of the Giants in the draft, New York might not have the opportunity to select either of the top two signal callers: Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Circumstance is going to play its hand here.
But having two quality veterans on the roster should allow the Giants to be a bit more honest with themselves about their feelings on the top quarterbacks. Even a week into free agency, with no other QB on the roster beyond Tommy DeVito, it felt like the Giants could be backing themselves into a corner in which they were forced to take a QB with their first-round pick — whether that involved orchestrating a trade up to ensure a top guy or sticking at No. 3. Without options at QB, it’s a lot easier to convince yourself a rookie could be the answer. Now that they have Wilson and Winston, the Giants should be a little less desperate, and therefore able to see things a little more clearly.
Again, this isn’t saying they shouldn’t draft a young quarterback. They should. The Giants haven’t drafted any QB since taking Jones in 2019, and look how that’s gone. But they undoubtedly have more flexibility now.
It’s also worth noting that having two capable veterans on the depth chart would allow the Giants to remain patient with a rookie’s development. Say Wilson struggles early on or gets injured. The Giants wouldn’t feel forced to insert the rookie who might not be ready. Instead, they could deploy Winston as the rookie continues his development at his own pace.
But the Giants only reap that particular reward if they draft a quarterback. They need to do it.
Wilson is only signed for a season, and he’ll turn 37 years old during the season. Winston might be signed for two years, but he’s not been a proven starter in six years. If Schoen and Daboll want to stick around beyond the upcoming season, they need to show progress, but they also need to prove they can sustain that success and that they have a plan to get there. Even with Wilson and Winston on the roster, they still need to find their QB of the future. They’ll have an opportunity to discover that future in a month.
(Photo: Barry Reeger / Imagn Images)
