During the events of Super Bowl Media Day, Jameis Winston assumed the role of past-time correspondent. That produced a notable interaction with Eagles running back Saquon Barkley in which the veteran passer spoke about his future. 
Winston is a pending free agent, and the Browns may look elsewhere for help under center on the open market or during the draft. The former No. 1 pick could still have a number of suitors, though, given the excess of demand at the position relative to supply (especially given this year’s group of QB prospects). One team in need of a new quarterback is the Giants.
Barkley mentioned his former team when speaking to Winston about the latter’s options on the open market this spring. New York moved on from Daniel Jones midway through the 2024 campaign, ending his time with the franchise not long after he inked a four-year, $160MM extension. Drew Lock is a pending free agent while Tommy DeVito‘s future is also uncertain. Using the No. 3 pick on a passer looms as an option, but bringing in a veteran like Winston could also be on the table. The 31-year-old would be on board with such a move.
“Would I really sign with the Giants? Absolutely!” Winston said when speaking with Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. “I want to keep playing and do what I do best.”
After a five-year run with the Buccaneers, Winston spent four seasons in New Orleans. That spell included 10 starts, and the Florida State product made it clear he still viewed himself as being capable of handling QB1 duties. In 2024, he found himself making seven starts in the wake of Deshaun Watson‘s Achilles tear, although Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe also saw time atop the depth chart at the end of the campaign.
Watson is set to miss some (potentially all) of the 2025 campaign in the wake of his second Achilles tear, and Thompson-Robinson’s time as a starter has not been sufficient to ensure competition will not be brought in. Winston could be retained on a another one-year deal, but outside suitors could be willing to bring him in as veteran insurance. It will be interesting to see if the Giants prove to be one of them. In any case, Winston is clearly intent on continuing his NFL career in 2025.
“Would I like to make six figures as a backup? ABSOLUTELY!!”
He’d be their starter
Lmao
Know he wouldn’t. Maybe a bridge guy to mentor cam Ward or sanders that’s it
They don’t have Sanders or Ward, nor do I expect them to draft either
Being the starter for the Giants isn’t as much of an accomplishment as might be inferred.
The point would be to tank for the 2026 QB class
It would be too obvious and fans would outrage. Giants can’t tank if they miss playoffs they’re cleaning house
Ward and Sanders don’t move the needle at all
Jeanty would give them a franchise player
A Qb in 2026 would come into an offense that features Malik Nabers and Alshonn Jeanty… just a thought
So you must be one of the few who thought selecting Saquan #1 by Gettleman was a good idea….a RB #1 pick…..well, you’re certainly in the minority and what do you do with Tracy who looked pretty good this year….its a given, from what we’ve read that Jeanty is a pretty good back, but the Giants have too many holes on Defense in my opinion to take him #1 when either of Carter, Hunter, or Graham are available when we pick……
I have Hunter and Carter going 1 & 2
For perspective
I also think Jeanty is the best skill position player in the entire draft
Saquon went #2, rocky.
This GM and HC combo can’t tank for 2026 after barely being retained. They need 9 wins minimum.
Not possible unless they trade for Mahomes
Division belongs to Eagles and Commanders next season.
Retaining the staff could be viewed as nothing more than a rest n vest for the tail end of a tank job
Nine wins is very doable. Despite their record this roster wasn’t as bad as one would think.
Add a competent QB like Darnold or Cousins.
The oline was a trainwreck again last season due to injury to Thomas and poor RT play. Move Neal to guard and bring in a legit RT either through the draft or free agency. A Thomas, Runyam, Schmidt, Neal, and let’s say Conklin oline with Eluemanor as a true swing tackle would take them from a bottom 5 unit to a top 12ish level.
The other high priority spot is the c run D. Despite the presence of arguably the best NT in football in Dexter and a quality mlb their run D has been awful for years and you can’t have that especially in the NFC East. That’s where pairing Grahsm with Lawrence would lead to an exponential improvement.
In what world is Cousins still a competent QB? Id put him in the same category as Winston this offseason.
And Darnold is not guaranteed to be anything more than a product of the system up north.
He doesn’t get to bring his o-line, shut down D, and Justin Jefferson/Addison combo with him to NY.
Really risky you end up with another overpaid QB.
Heck after that playoff game, I’m not so sure even Minnesota is sold on him.
Would have to take a nice package to pry him from Vikings, who can simply tag him and run it back next season to see if he’s worth the longterm buck
I do agree that Cousins is an option for them tho.
Just not as a positive asset
One’s opinion on Cousins comes down to whether one believes his midseason struggles laat year were due to lingering physical issues from the Achilles injury compromising his base or not. And whether being another full year removed will return him to previous form.
I thought he rushed back and also think Achilles injuries take 18 months to return from. I expected him to be much better this year and assuming ATL has to outright cut him the acquiring team will be paying him peanuts (like Russell Wilson last year).
Re: Darnold. I think minny let’s him walk, no franchise tag.
One of Wilson or Fields will likely also be available.
None of those guys get them to 9 wins aside from a risky darnold commitment
Agreed that Cousins may have been playing through injury to fend off Pennix , but regardless he was dreadful and not even making competent reads
We’ll just have to agree to disagree with over under 8.5 wins assuming they make the trench upgrades I mentioned. With those trench improvements any of those qbs get them there imo. They aren’t winning the division with any of them but with vastly improved OL and DL play they’ll get them to 9.
9 wins would be winning more than half their games next year
I’d set the line at 5.5 wins
With their current roster 5.5 wins is fine. But again under my 9 wins assumption they actually address RT and DT along with competency at qb.
They won 3 games last year
They’re a lot more than a game manager QB and a rookie lineman away from 9 wins
If they properly address RT and DT in addition to a competent QB then I’ll stand by my 9 win statement. We’ll double back afterFA and the draft. There’s a wager to be made here.
He’d have to beat out Tommy Cutlets for the job though.
Seven figures
Oops forgot a zero my bad
Winston would be a good fit for New York’s blue team, but since the Giants are the most entitled team in the NFL they’re not likely to sign him.
Daboll Out! Schoen Out! Mara Out!
2026 draft is LOADED with QBs
Giants should take Jeanty at 3
Tank with Jameis for a year.
There’s no easy fix in NY
I dont have a QB coming off the board until pick 6
lol ain’t nobody taking a RB at 3
Why not?
Bijan and Gibbs worked out. Saquon worked out
Most RBs aren’t worthy of R1 selection, but the few who are, are worth taking at the top of the draft
Those teams had strong offensive lines and better pass catching talent, and the coach got fired after Robinson’s first year. The Giants of all teams know the waste of taking a top five running back when they have much bigger needs. There are tons of running backs in this draft, too. If they insist on taking an offensive skill position player, McMillan would make more sense.
You really think drafting Saquon was a waste?
I think Saquon worked out great and their downfall was.. checks notes… overdrafting and committing to a trash QB
I absolutely think drafting Barkley was a waste for the Giants.
I think they wasted Barkley.
Don’t think the pick was a waste.
I think a team that isn’t otherwise functional on offense is doomed to waste a running back they spend super high level resources on. CMC was wasted until he went to SF, too.
Saquon ran for 1,300 yards his rookie season with the Giants
If there’s any lesson to be learned, it’s not to reach for a QB
Those yards sure didn’t help them win many games. Barkley also missed a ton of games. Two of the best quarterbacks in the league were on the board. The Giants also refused to trade down when teams wanted quarterbacks and they still likely could have landed Barkley.
They could’ve taken Darnold and that may have worked out for them (unlikely)
But Josh Allen, if you remember, had some extremely irrelevant (Twitter post was it?) haunt him on draft day which tanked his value
Also rumors were that the Browns wanted to take Barkley at 1, but he requested not to be taken. So not a major reach at 2
(nor any guatentees he’d be available post pick-3)
I’d blame the Giants next 5 draft strategies, more than taking one of the best RBs in NFL history at number 2
The Browns were always going to take a quarterback. Allen was a rumor there. Let’s not act like Barkley has always been this superstar. He missed 20 games with injuries and never played this well until he was on a team with a top five line, a top five receiver tandem, and a decent quarterback. He’s a great player, but he was a luxury to a team that needed structure and an overdraft.
If you remember, the Browns also held pick 4 in that draft and a lot of mocks had them still getting Baker/Allen at 4 with Saquon at 1
Barkley got injured, but he was always a superstar impact player, as listed he rushed for 1,300 yards as a rookie
You don’t need to draft a running back in the top five to get rushing yards and that impact didn’t show up in the win column.
Exactly, look at what Barkley did 1st season away from Giants. He’s run for over 2,400 yards counting play-offs this yr n his new team is in SB. Needs to be a special, generational back to spend a #1 pick on them.
Agreed. It’s about finding value for your pocket and no better example of that is at RB where you can get it later on in the draft. Saquan was good, but Toby the time he’s hitting his stride his contract is up and teams move on from him because he’s a RB and they can’t sink big money in somebody that takes such a beating. You find your franchise QB there who by the time you’d move away from that RB, that QB is really firing on all cylinders and you keep locking up your franchise QB.
Barkley didn’t work out. His career in NY was wasted. Their downfall was the trench play.
Jeanty at 3 would be stupid.
Other than the obvious QB situation the Giants MUST upgrade their trench play to compete in the NFC East. The 3 pick should be used there, either DT Graham or RT Campbell.
And Tracy was a baller at RB. They are set there.
Or Hunter if he’s there. Giants need a corner upgrade badly.
Let’s keep the convo respectable here I do agree Jeanty is the flagship back in this draft roughly but he’s not worth a 3rd especially with Giants lacking in QB O-Line and DB talent. I can’t see it. Unless they make a move for a bridge guy in March like cousins or Darnold I can’t see it
“the Giants are the most entitled team in the NFL”
Pretty sure you and your fellow Jets fans expected to be handed a playoff spot when you got Aaron Rodgers. Giants fans know the team is trash and are just happy if the team competes.
Jets fans prefer that their team plays its way onto featured TV games. Giants fans expect their games vs. Dallas to be full national.
I don’t think you even know the meaning of “entitled” if you think the Giants are.
We know how entitled the Giants are. They retained a coaching staff and front office who built a team that went 3-14 in 2024. That’s what happens when you run an NFL club like a mom-and-pop store.
Jets, Cowboys, etc. are run like Walmart.
Not to get too technical, but the Giants are not expecting any special treatment from the league, so not entitled. What the ownership is, is loyal to the coaches, and sometimes that hurts the product on the field. 4 Super Bowl victories though, even with all that.
They could do worse. At the very least, he’s capable of throwing a pass longer than 4 yards, which is something the offense has missed. Now, whether he throws those passes to people wearing the same uniform is TBD.
Unfortunately, those passes further than 4 yards goes to the defense.
Still an improvement!
Nabers would make him look so good
Even Mike Evans and Chris Godwin could not make him look good when he threw 30 INTs.
You missed the part where he also had 30 TD’s
The TDs are irrelevant when you throw 30 interceptions unless you throw at least 60.
edit: 60 tds.
Steinbrenner
You missed the part where he had 30ints which negate 30 TDs. How do that season end again Oh yeah 7-9 and no playoffs. So those 30Tds equal six week head start on the offseason. Whoopie
Fantasy alert! Giants opponents rack up INTs and pick-sixes as our hero mindlessly throws into coverage.
Is there any chance russell wilson comes to New york?
Is there a chance? If they pay him enough. But not sure it will make any difference. Maybe a six win team instead of three.
Any or all of Wilson, Fields, Darnold, or Cousins is likely in play for NYG.
But they HAVE to upgrade their trench play for any of them to have a chance at competence.
“I want to keep playing and do what I do best.”
Throwing Interceptions
Losing
Collecting a pay check for being mediocre
I get that he has been a backup but he still is negative TD to INT the last three years.
Yeah, but… if you want a dude to come in the game who ‘might’ give a spark to the team and lite them up for 300 yards, he’s the guy. It’s boom or bust. But if the starter goes down, at least you have a chance with him.
Zero chance the Giants don’t end up with Cam Ward. Jameis is a great backup, maybe could start the season until Cam is ready. I don’t hate that idea for them.
There’s a good chance Ward doesn’t make it to them.
I think they’ll trade up. It won’t cost an insane amount to do it this year. The top two teams don’t seem to be amped about either sanders or ward.
I dunno, I could be wrong. All the chatter says Giants REALLY want him, but it’s all smoke and mirrors before the draft. So… By zero chance, I mean 50/50.