Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston found a new home on Saturday when he signed a two-year deal with the New York Giants. Winston threw for 2,121 yards and 13 touchdowns over 12 games (seven starts) last season and took over as the Browns starter after Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon last October. But his 12 interceptions eliminated the possibility of a return and paved his way to the Big Apple.
Many believed that change would be a big opportunity for Winston. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft could start for the Giants and buy time for Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward or another quarterback in this year’s draft to prepare to be the long-term starter in New York.
But just as Winston envisioned throwing triple-covered lasers to Malik Nabers, the Giants dealt him some bad news that could leave the 31-year-old in a similar role to the one he left behind.
Giants Reportedly “Still in Play” For Russell Wilson
According to multiple reports, including Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Giants are “still in play” for former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. While the report admits they took Wilson off the list of names the Giants could consider after signing Winston, Florio’s source suggests New York is still looking for a veteran starter to pair with Winston.
“They are as much/more looking for a veteran starter than the Browns, definitely more than the Vikings,” The source said according to Florio’s report.
While the report also said the Giants are interested in Aaron Rodgers, the source admitted it “seems unlikely” he would go there. It’s the firm answer that few teams have received during the second wave of quarterback moves and it has several tentacles involving the Browns.
The Giants’ pursuit of Wilson is obviously bad news for Winston. His contract is worth $8 million but can reach up to $16 million in incentives. It’s assumed that most of the incentives could be hit if Winston becomes the starter, but if Wilson signs it could cost Winston some money along with playing time.
For the Browns, it’s bad news because they still need a quarterback. Cleveland is not involved in the pursuit of Rodgers but could be interested in Wilson. But a report from Tony Grossi of The Land On Demand and ESPN 850 suggests Wilson could be looking for a contract worth $20-$30 million annually, pricing Cleveland out of his services.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could also be interested in keeping Wilson but are waiting for an answer from Rodgers. Rodgers is apparently still waiting for a firm answer from the Minnesota Vikings even after they reportedly endorsed J.J. McCarthy as their starter and that’s pretty much where the quarterback carousel is at.
Unless the Browns pull the trigger on a trade for Kirk Cousins, the Giants pursuit of Wilson may be another step toward taking a quarterback with the second overall pick in next month’s draft. Until then Winston will be directly sweating the quarterback drama out and digesting some potential bad news from his new employer.