Jameis Winston vows to be better for Giants after Rams debacle as he replaces Jaxson Dart
Sunday will be the 90th NFL start for Jameis Winston.This is not his first rodeo, as they say.
Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.He is next in line at quarterback after the devastating news that Jaxson Dart needs surgery on his left knee and is out for the remainder of this season.
Dart was the starter, Winston was the backup.Now Dart is out and Winston is in.No one knows how this will work out, but if Winston fails it will not be because he lacks belief in himself.“I am very confident in my ability to execute with precision and to lead the New York football Giants to victories,” Winston said Wednesday after a practice in which he took the first-team reps on offense.
“Very confident in that.”The Giants earlier this month signed Winston to a two-year extension worth $13 million, keeping him under contract through the 2028 season.They view him as one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league, and they greatly value his leadership qualities in the locker room. He called himself a “servant leader” for the team in 2025 and was content with again filling the role of Dart’s understudy.
But Winston never gave up on his desire to start, and now he is the player in charge of the offensive operation, beginning with Sunday’s game against the Titans at MetLife Stadium.“It’s truly a privilege,” he said.“I had this privilege for two games last year, and it truly was an honor.
For this game alone, my focus is on being my very best, having elite fundamentals and precise execution.”Winston said his new responsibility is “keeping Jaxson’s spirits uplifted and going out there on that football field and being the New York Giants starting quarterback right now.”Winston, 32, takes over the reins of an offensive system that was specially designed for Dart’s expansive and varied skill sets.Winston is 36-53 as a starter in his 12 NFL seasons and has not started more than s...