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Jameis Winston: Contract Terms
Free agent quarterback Jameis Winston announced on Friday that he agreed to sign with the New York Giants.
Start spreading the neWs ?
— Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) March 21, 2025
According to FOX Sports and ESPN, the deal is for two years and $8 million.
Fantasy Football Impact
Winston, 31, visited with the Giants earlier in the week. The signing comes after weeks of the Giants pursuing Aaron Rodgers and missing out on Matthew Stafford, who remained with the Los Angeles Rams on a new contract. It also came on the heels of Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson coming to New Jersey the previous week.
Despite the addition of Winston, New York is still expected to add to its quarterback room this offseason.
However, the veteran gives the Giants a quarterback capable of starting who can also mentor a young quarterback from the draft. The Giants currently hold the No. 3 pick.
Co-owner John Mara said earlier this year that finding the team's quarterback of the future was the No. 1 priority this offseason.
Winston and Tommy DeVito are the only two quarterbacks currently on the Giants' roster.
Winston began the 2024 season as the backup to Deshaun Watson but took over as the Cleveland Browns' starter after Watson's season-ending right Achilles tendon tear in Week 7.
He helped spark a Browns offense that failed to reach 20 points in any of Watson's starts. Winston engineered upset victories over the Baltimore Ravens and Steelers, and he threw for a franchise-record 497 yards in a Week 13 loss to the Broncos. Receiver Jerry Jeudy, who set a career-high for receiving yards (235) in the same game, came on strong during Winston's starts.
As the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted, there are two things you can expect from Winston: He won't second-guess his passes, and he's going to throw deep.
He demonstrated that by averaging 291 yards per game as the starter. He threw 12 touchdown passes in seven starts.
Winston, though, was benched in Week 16 after throwing eight interceptions in a span of three games. The Browns were 2-5 in games that Winston started. Winston finished the year completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while also running for one score.
While working as a media correspondent at the Super Bowl, Winston asked Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley where he should sign. Barkley told him New York. Winston later expressed his interest in the Giants. "Would I really sign with the Giants? Absolutely!" Winston told NJ Advance Media at the time. "I want to keep playing and do what I do best."
The 6-4, 230-pound Winston entered the NFL as the No. 1 pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015. After five seasons in Tampa Bay, Winston spent four seasons with the New Orleans Saints before signing with Cleveland last offseason. In his 10-year career, Winston has appeared in 105 games with 87 starts. He has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 24,225 yards, 154 touchdowns, and 111 interceptions.
Assuming he makes some starts, Winston is more than capable of fueling the fantasy fortunes of the receiving assets of interest in New York, most notably Malik Nabers.
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Fantasy Football Fallout
Winston's signing has fantasy investors and analysts, including NFL Network's Michael F. Florio, excited about the possibilities for Nabers.
Malik Nabers was one of 7 WRs to average 18+ PPR PPG last season - the others were Chase, Puka, Jefferson, Amon-Ra, Higgins and Godwin
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) March 22, 2025
Nabers did it with a quartet of Danny Dimes/Drew Lock/Tommy DeVito/Tim Boyle throwing him the ball
Florio further contends that Nabers will be a top-5 fantasy wide receiver for however long Winston starts.
Think that sounds like a hot take? There are numbers that back it up.
Jeudy was WR5 over the eight-game span Winston started in Cleveland last season, scoring an average of 20.8 points per game. Winston targeted Jeudy 69 times as the starter. Assuming Nabers gets similar -- or even more -- attention, WR5 numbers are undoubtedly realistic.
Of course, Nabers will be solid regardless of the starter, so Winston's arrival shouldn't drive the second-year receiver's Average Draft Position (ADP) up dramatically. Nabers is already WR8 going in the first round (11th overall).
Beyond Nabers, getting excited about any of the Giants' skill players is hard. This move won't significantly impact the ADP of ancillary players like Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, or Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Meanwhile, Rodgers visited with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier Friday, hours before New York pivoted to Winston. It was starting to seem like the Giants were a long shot for the four-time NFL MVP in recent days.
While NFL Network's Tom Pelissero contends the Giants could still be interested in Rodgers, Winston's signing suggests New York got tired of waiting. In addition, the latest reporting out of Minnesota indicates the Vikings are all in on J.J. McCarthy, so Rodgers' options are diminishing.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
- Aaron Rodgers (landing spots diminishing)
Overview
Jameis Winston agreed to terms on a two-year, $8 million deal with the New York Giants. With Tommy DeVito the only other quarterback on the roster, Winston's presence will not keep New York from adding another signal-caller through free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft. The Giants own the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Just how impactful a role he plays in New York remains to be seen, but fantasy investors interested in Malik Nabers will likely see this news as a positive.
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