Jameis Winston, Giants agree to two-year deal, source says

When Jameis Winston glibly asked Saquon Barkley during Super Bowl week where he should sign as a free agent this offseason, the former Giants running back offered his advice.

“New York needs a quarterback.”

Not any longer.

Or at least not as badly as they once did.

Winston agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Giants on Friday night. A source confirmed the deal first reported by NFL Network but Winston also made his own announcement of the pending contract on social media; he posted “Start spreading the neWs” with his signature capital W.

Winston had visited the Giants’ facility on Tuesday but left without a contract at the time. With the potential growing for the Giants to be left without a viable option at the position as they awaited a decision by Aaron Rodgers, though, they decided to move forward with Winston.

The agreement came at the end of a day in which Rodgers, the player believed to be at the top of the Giants’ free agent quarterback wish list, visited with the Steelers. While Winston’s deal, reportedly for $8 million, does not preclude the Giants from making any further additions to their quarterback room — including the potential of signing Rodgers if he expresses interest in them — it gives the team a veteran starter in hand with the offseason training programs ready to start in about a month. It also gives the Giants a chance to select a quarterback early in the draft at the end of April. They currently hold the third overall pick.

For now, though, Winston and Tommy DeVito constitute the Giants’ depth at quarterback.

Winston spent the 2024 season with the Browns, where he started seven games. Cleveland won two of those starts. Winston threw 13 touchdown with 12 interceptions last season. In the four years before that, he was with the Saints and had his best season as a pro in 2021 when he went 5-2 as a starter, threw 12 touchdowns and had only three interceptions.

The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State, Winston was drafted by the Buccaneers with the first overall pick in 2015. In 10 NFL seasons, he has thrown 154 touchdowns with 111 interceptions. He has also rushed for 12 career scores. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2015.

Winston is also known as a strong leader and teammate whose animated pregame hype speeches are often as ridiculous as they are inspiring. The Giants believe he will embrace his role as a mentor if they select a quarterback high in the draft.

Winston was one of three veteran quarterbacks known to have visited with the Giants this offseason. Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson also made the trip to East Rutherford before Winston did.

If Rodgers does eventually sign with the Steelers it could mean Wilson goes to the Browns, another team with whom he visited. That would potentially behoove the Giants as well since Cleveland holds the second overall pick in the upcoming draft. If the Browns sign Wilson and decide not to select a quarterback it could mean the Giants will have Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, widely considered the top quarterback prospects in this draft, available to them with the third pick. The Titans, also a quarterback-needy organization, have the first overall pick.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey added

Earlier on Friday, the Giants added depth and size to their wide receiver group by signing six-year veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey. The 6-4, 225-pounder spent the last two seasons with the Broncos and had 31 catches for 293 yards on 45 targets, all career-bests, along with one touchdown, in 2024. – Evan Barnes