Jameis Winston has built an NFL career around keeping everyone guessing. The New York Giants have seen enough to make one thing certain: They want him sticking around.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Winston earned a two-year, $13 million extension with the Giants, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Winston appeared in three games for the Giants last season, making two starts while Jaxson Dart was sidelined with a concussion. He completed 37 of 66 passes for 567 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Giants lost both of Winston’s starts, but the offense remained competitive. New York averaged 23.5 points against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, with Winston taking only three sacks. He also rushed for a touchdown and caught a 33-yard score on a trick play.
His best showing came against Detroit, when he passed for 366 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-27 overtime loss.
Jameis Winston Delivered Wild Ride With Browns
There were always two sides to a Winston start during his brief tenure in Cleveland. He could energize an offense, attack downfield and produce stretches of explosive football. He could also take unnecessary chances and turn a competitive game with a costly mistake.
Winston signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Browns in 2024 and initially backed up Deshaun Watson. He moved into the starting lineup after Watson ruptured his Achilles in October.
His first start delivered one of the brightest moments of Cleveland’s three-win season. Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-24 upset of the Baltimore Ravens, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also helped Cleveland beat the Pittsburgh Steelers during a memorable Thursday night snow game.
The full Winston experience arrived against the Denver Broncos. He set a Browns single-game record with 497 passing yards and threw four touchdowns. However, he also tossed three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, in a 41-32 loss.
Winston finished his Browns tenure with 2,121 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He went 2-5 as the starter and threw eight interceptions over his final three starts before being benched for Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The Browns allowed Winston to leave in free agency, and he signed his original two-year, $8 million deal with New York in March 2025.
Browns Still Searching for Quarterback Stability
Winston has secured his place in New York, but the Browns remain without a definitive long-term answer at quarterback. Todd Monken named Watson the Week 1 starter following a competition with Shedeur Sanders. Watson has not appeared in a regular-season game since October 2024.
He is 9-10 over 19 starts with Cleveland and has not played more than seven games in any season since signing his fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
Sanders will open the season as the primary backup after starting seven games as a rookie. He completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season.
Rookie Taylen Green is the third quarterback, while Dillon Gabriel will begin the year on injured reserve because of a back injury.
Ex-Browns QB Gets $13 Million Payday