Jameis Winston is expected to start the 2025 NFL season as one of Russell Wilson’s backups on the New York Giants.
For some within the organization, that’s rumored to be a situation that some might’ve been against.
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, there are some within the Giants’ franchise who “preferred Jameis Winston to Wilson, in terms of how they came off in their visits before both signed with the Giants.”
Even beyond Winston, it was noted again that Wilson wasn’t exactly the “apple of the Giants’ eye” when they were searching for a passer in free agency.
“General manager Joe Schoen wanted to trade for Matthew Stafford, then preferred to sign Aaron Rodgers before moving onto the third choice, giving Wilson a one-year contract for $10.5 million, with incentives baked in that could double that money,” Schwartz wrote.
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It’s clear that Wilson is going to start the season as QB1. His status in that position will be performance-based, and his leash is likely short, considering the circumstances in New York.
Not only did the Giants add the seasoned veteran Winston, but they spent a high-end pick on the rookie Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss.
With the 25th overall pick, the Giants selected Dart to potentially take over as the franchise quarterback in the future, filling the void that the cutting of Daniel Jones left last season.
If the Giants can’t get off to a hot start, it will only turn up the pressure on the coaching staff to consider pulling the plug on the veterans and begin experimenting with the rookie.
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For the time being, Wilson has done a solid job of getting buy-in from the organization. Not only does the front office and the coaching staff seem satisfied with his spring sessions, but his receivers have issued consistent praise to the one-time Super Bowl champion.
As for Winston, he’ll continue playing a backup role. After beginning his career as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston’s move to the New Orleans Saints in 2020 was the start of his journey as a backup. Over the past five seasons, Winston has started just 17 games. Nearly half of those starts came last season with the Cleveland Browns.
Winston threw for 2,121 yards,13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He achieved a 2-5 record while starting for the Browns last season.
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