The New York Giants lost their first NFC East game of the 2026 season this past Thursday night, dropping a closely contested home tilt to the Washington Commanders, 24-21.
It was truly an agonizing loss for Big Blue, and one that felt like it should’ve been theirs. But several miscues throughout the game, and a handful in the fourth quarter, essentially cost New York this game.
It wasn’t the end-all, be-all, but head coach John Harbaugh made some head-scratchingly conservative decisions in the fourth quarter, such as opting not to go for it on fourth down when he probably could have, or vice versa.
Everyone remembers the Jameis Winston pump-fake quarterback sneak on fourth and short, right? Well, former San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner does too, and he thinks Winston’s antics should cost him his job.
Donte Whitner Wants Giants to Cut Jameis Winston
Late in the fourth quarter, when the New York Giants were trying to bait the Washington Commanders into jumping offsides on fourth and one, Winston broke out into a rendition of “Who Let the Dogs Out” by the Baha Men.
While a lot of folks at home may have enjoyed Winston’s pre-snap cadence, Whitner went as far as to say the Giants should cut him for the antics.
“I’d cut Jameis Winston this morning. It was so unrealistic. You have 10 other guys out there and guys on defense that’s busting their butt every week, and it’s very hard and difficult to win a game in the National Football League,” Whitner said on ESPN’s Get Up.
“And then when you go into the ‘Who Let the Dogs Out,’ are you serious? He’s clearly just trying to go viral on social media while they’re trying to win a football game. He get his pink slip this morning.”
While some Giants fans may be quick to defend their beloved backup quarterback, take into account that Whitner was an 11-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowler. He certainly has ground to stand on.
It’s incredibly unlikely that New York will actually move on from Winston, but Whitner’s point still stands that it may have been a little unprofessional.
John Harbaugh Defends Jameis Winston
While Winston’s cadence may have bothered some, New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh didn’t mind it, and he told as much to reporters on Friday.
“It’s not about what you say, exactly, if you say ‘hut hut’ or whatever… If you go back and you listen to what Jameis has said throughout the course of the season, you’ll hear those cadences. So, it sounds a little bit like that, and that ‘Who Let the Dogs Out Thing,'” Harbaugh said.
“So I don’t think it’s so much about that as just a fact that whether you even try it there and the fact that they were disciplined enough not to jump off sides is a credit to them.”
As long as Winston’s antics aren’t a real problem with the team, there’s no need to keep rehashing the cadence.
Ex-Pro Bowler Urges Giants to Cut Jameis Winston After Snap Antics