The largest waves of NFL free agency have come and gone, but there remain a few quarterback dominoes left to fall.
Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson have drawn most of the attention among available signal-callers, but veteran Jameis Winston beat them to signing a new deal.
Winston inked a two-year deal with the New York Giants on Friday, per multiple media reports. The Giants are set to pay the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft up to $8 million over the duration of the deal.
That adds depth to the Giants’ quarterback room but doesn’t take them out of the running for any of the remaining talents on the quarterback market.
Here’s a brief look at the winners and losers of Winston’s deal with the Giants.
WINNERS
Jameis Winston
Landing in New York could be great for Winston’s career. The 31 year old is being paid a backup salary, but he could emerge as the team’s early-season starter if the Giants draft a quarterback to pair with him rather than signing another veteran signal-caller. There are few spots league-wide in which Winston would have a solid chance to earn a starting role, so landing in one is a boon for him.
Additionally, Winston will have plenty of chances to allow his boisterous personality to shine through in the Big Apple. That could land him some quality endorsement deals, which could provide him excess value on top of his two-year, $8 million contract.
Malik Nabers
Nabers posted 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns during his excellent rookie season. He has an even higher ceiling with the pass-happy Winston in the fold.
Winston averaged 40.6 passing attempts per game in seven starts for the Browns last season. He was on pace to total 690 passing attempts, 4,949 yards, 29 touchdowns and 29 interceptions over a 17-game season. If he has to start for even half of the season, Nabers should see a significant uptick in production, much like Jerry Jeudy did last season upon Winston’s insertion into the lineup.
Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders
The Giants landing Winston doesn’t take them out of the veteran quarterback market entirely, but it does make them more likely to target a quarterback atop the 2025 NFL draft. That represents good news for Ward and Sanders, who could both end up being top-three picks as New York seeks out a potential-packed quarterback.
Sanders likely benefits slightly more than Ward, who is trending toward being the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Colorado product has a wider draft range but would potentially interest the Giants as competition for Winston.
LOSERS
Aaron Rodgers
Signing Winston doesn’t take the Giants entirely out of the Rodgers sweepstakes. It does, however, slightly erode the 41 year old’s leverage over New York in potential negotiations, as Tommy DeVito is no longer the only quarterback on the Giants’ roster.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are both on the hot seat, so they may yet be willing to capitulate to Rodgers if he demonstrates an interest in staying in New York. But if the Giants are lukewarm on signing the veteran, that could eliminate one of his few remaining landing spots — unless he drops his price for the upcoming season.
Russell Wilson
Wilson is in a similar boat to Rodgers. There aren’t a lot of spots remaining where he could be a starting quarterback. The Giants are one of them, but Winston could crowd Wilson out of the quarterback room if the Giants don’t believe the 36 year old to be enough of an upgrade over Winston.
Add in Rodgers’ ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the landing spots for Wilson are narrowing.
Tommy DeVito
Winston’s signing isn’t the end of Tommy Cutlets in New York, but it creates a more difficult path for him to earn a roster spot in 2025.
New York is going to add at least one more quarterback to its room during the offseason, but it could add two if they land Rodgers or Wilson and select a top draft prospect. If that happens, DeVito would become the team’s fourth-string quarterback. That would make him a cut candidate going into his third NFL season rather than a safe third-string signal-caller.
