Jameis Winston said he wanted an opportunity to play this season, and the New York Giants apparently provided him the best opportunity for that -- even with a more accomplished quarterback now on the roster.
The Giants introduced Winston to the media on Monday, and Winston explained the thought process behind signing a two-year deal with the Giants coming off their 3-14 campaign in 2024. The only remaining QB from last season is Tommy DeVito.
"This team is looking for a complete paradigm shift," Winston said. "This team is looking to make a splash, and it's no better place to do it with no greater calling to do right here in New York City being a New York football Giant."
The Giants, of course, also later signed veteran QB Russell Wilson, and the pre-draft presumption is that Wilson is the early leader for the starting role in New York.
After all, Wilson has started 11 or more games in each of his 13 NFL seasons, even while joining his third team in four years. Winston has started only 17 games total over his past five seasons and hasn't been a full-time starter since 2019 with the Buccaneers.
"My initial vision, approaching this offseason, was to find an opportunity that gave me either a starting role or a bridge opportunity to be a starting quarterback," Winston said, "and I believe this situation is a situation that looks similar.
"Whether it's a veteran quarterback that I have to compete with and help serve and help make better for this team or it's a quarterback from college who I have to help get better, I have to compete with and serve."
The Giants have said they could go any direction with the No. 3 overall pick -- and that technically could include a quarterback. But it wouldn't be stunning if the starting duties fell to either Wilson or Winston.
"I don't believe in coincidences, and the interest that brought me to New York was the fact that there was a quarterback room they were looking to get better and making the difference in, and I saw that window of opportunity open," Winston said. "But just the fact that the Big Apple is the biggest city in the world with the greatest fans in the world, as well, to create some popularity -- that didn't hurt. I'm definitely grateful for what this city brings, but I'm definitely focusing on what I can do to help uplift this team from the quarterback position."
Winston said he and Wilson have a good rapport, indicating that Wilson has supported him previously in multiple ways.
"My relationship with Russ is good," Winston said. "A lot of people don't know this, he was one of the quarterbacks that allowed me to take a look into how he ran his businesses, how he took care of his body, how he trained and what he did to go into like his mental approach."
Winston, 31, hit some high notes with the Browns during a lost 2024 season in Cleveland, leading upsets over the Ravens and Steelers, and he threw for 497 yards in a loss to the Broncos. But Winston also threw three interceptions in three different games and took 20 sacks in five games he started that ended in Browns losses.
In his 10-year career, he has completed 61.2% of his passes for 24,225 yards, 154 TDs and 111 interceptions in 105 games (87 starts). The Giants will be Winston's fourth NFL team. His teams have had a cumulative record of 36-51-0 in games Winston has started.
