Giants Insider Makes Bold Jameis Winston Claim

The New York Giants took a three-pronged approach to fixing their long-standing issues at quarterback, but the forgotten man in the rotation may turn out to be their best option. At least based on a bold claim made by a senior reporter about veteran backup Jameis Winston.

It comes from Dan Duggan of The Athletic, who believes “Jameis has the best arm of any Giants QB I’ve covered. He threw a bomb to Da’Quan Felton today that was ridiculous.” Duggan captioned his take around a highlight of Winston showing off his talent for throwing deep at training camp on Wednesday, August 6.

Even though Duggan wasn’t trying to stoke any controversy, his assertion about Winston’s skill-set could have interesting implications for the Giants’ plans at football’s most important position. Especially as it relates to the status of projected starter Russell Wilson, as well as for the chances of 2025 NFL draft first-round pick Jaxson Dart playing as a rookie.

Jameis Winston Offering Giants a Reminder of His Talent

Winston wowing onlookers with his arm strength is a timely reminder of his core talent. Namely, a flair for attacking coverage vertically.

Finding signal-callers able to do that has been the feature of Big Blue’s quarterback overhaul this offseason. It’s why they signed 36-year-old Wilson, who remains one of the most gifted deep-ball throwers in the league.

Winston can also stockpile air yards in chunks. He averaged 7.5 completed air yards per completion with the Cleveland Browns last season, per Pro Football Reference.

These throws of 20-plus air yards, highlighted by Fantasy Football Today’s Jacob Gibbs of the “Beyond the Box Score” podcast, prove Wilson has lost none of his touch going long.

This is the quality the Giants want through the air this season, and it’s one reason to believe they won’t wait to turn to Winston if Wilson were to falter. Even before calling on Dart.

Top Giants QBs Can’t Ignore Jameis Winston Threat

While Duggan lamented “Crazy the reactions from some. Didn’t think it was a hot take at all to note the arm of the 6-4, 230-pounder who threw 95 mph as a pitcher and had the talent to be drafted #1. And the Giants haven’t exactly had a bunch of QBs with howitzers in my time on the beat,” Winston remains vital insurance on the depth chart.

Wilson is a 10-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl win on his CV, but he’s also somebody whose career has faltered in recent years. A dire spell with the Denver Broncos was followed by a less-than convincing season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving Wilson a realistic candidate for the bench.

If Wilson were to lose his job, the Giants wouldn’t necessarily turn to Dart. Not even after the 25th-overall pick appeared to be moving ahead of Winston during camp.

Dart was tellingly listed as third-string on the team’s preliminary depth chart, per Giants.com Senior Managing Editor Dan Salomone. The designation makes sense when, as Duggan’s colleague Charlotte Carroll put it, the Giants are “effectively hoping to make Dart’s rookie campaign a redshirt season.”

It means Winston is more likely to see the field during the regular season. His enduring knack as a vertical thrower will only increase those chances and keep Wilson under pressure.