The New York Giants really like doing business with Jameis Winston and are willing to pay him like 1 of the NFL’s top backup quarterbacks to keep doing so.
“Breaking: The Giants and QB Jameis Winston have agreed to a 2-year, $13M extension, per sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Sunday. “Winston has become invaluable to the Giants’ QB room as a leader, a key part of Jaxson Dart’s development, and someone the organization views as the best backup QB in football.”
“The Giants and backup QB Jameis Winston have agreed to a 2-year, $13M extension,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account on Sunday. “Winston has been integral for the Giants in helping Jaxson Dart. With him entering the final year of his contract, he gets extended.”
“I love this move for the Giants,” Fireside Giants host Anthony Rivardo wrote on his official X account on Sunday. “Jameis Winston is one of the top backup QBs in the NFL, an excellent leader, and the perfect mentor for Dart. Also, this should free up $2.1M in cap space for the Giants — some space they desperately needed as they were $1.3M OVER the cap.
Jameis Winston: High Risk and High Reward
The best insurance policy any team can get for its offense is a good backup quarterback, and Winston is one of the very best on the market.
Winston was actually playing some of the best football of his career in 2021 during former head coach Sean Payton’s last year with the New Orleans Saints, guiding them to a 5-2 record before suffering a catastrophic knee injury. Winston was forced into a starting role with the Browns in 2024 when Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon in Week 7.
Winston did an admirable job of keeping the Browns’ heads above water for a short period of time. He went 2-5 in 7 starts and threw for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions — most notably, both of Winston’s wins in 2024 came over playoff teams.
The Giants signed Winston to a 2-year, $8 million free-agent contract before the 2025 season. He ended up going 0-2 in a pair of starts after starter Jaxson Dart was injured.
Winston has approximately $80 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
One of Biggest Busts in NFL Draft History
Winston, lest we forget, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL Draft after leading Florida State to a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy in 2013.
Winston’s tenure with the Buccaneers came to an end after 5 seasons — and after he led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards in 2019. Unfortunately, that was also the year Winston became the 1st player in NFL history to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season.
New York Giants Sign Jameis Winston to Unexpected Contract Extension