The New York Giants signed veteran Quarterback Jameis Winston Friday night. Following an offseason of uncertainty at the quarterback position, New York finally made a real move at the position. They re-signed Quarterback Tommy DeVito earlier this offseason. While a fan favorite, he is not a legitimate option.
By the New York Giants signing Winston, they seemingly shut the door on Aaron Rodgers being the team’s quarterback in 2025. After the Minnesota Vikings reiterated their commitment to Quarterback J.J. McCarthy earlier this week it was down to two options for the future Hall of Famer. The Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only options for Rodgers to play quarterback in 2025. Will Winston end up being a shrewd signing for the Giants?
Are the New York Giants Making the Correct Decision?
It may not sound right, but at this point in his career, Winston is undoubtedly a better quarterback than Rodgers. Winston is also a beloved locker room presence while Rodgers, to put it mildly, is a divisive figure.
Most importantly, New York made a move at the quarterback position instead of being beholden to Rodgers’ timeline. Rodgers has been dragging his feet and reportedly could wait until after the 2025 NFL Draft before signing with a team.
While it makes sense for Rodgers to wait as long as possible to sign with a team, the New York Giants must move their offseason forward. They had to make sure they had a suitable option if Rodgers left them at the altar. Rodgers could presumably sign with the Steelers leaving New York with DeVito heading into a do-or-die year for Head Coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen. The Giants made the correct decision by signing Winston to solidify the quarterback position.
Final Thoughts
Even though the signing of Winston reportedly does not remove the Giants from the Rodgers sweepstakes, it is hard to imagine he would come to New York now. Rodgers is seemingly looking for an option where he is the clear starter instead of having a proven veteran backing him up. A few poor games from Rodgers would lead to a quarterback controversy in New Jersey.
The signing of Winston should not impact the team’s plans in the next month’s NFL Draft. The New York Giants should draft a quarterback and have Winston mentor him. The ideal situation would be having Winston start Week 1 of the 2025 season and have former Colorado Quarterback Shedeur Sanders come in later in the year after learning at the feet of Winston.
