Reporting before Week 3 signaled it's "a matter of when, not if" the New York Giants acquire a quarterback after Jaxson Dart's season-ending injury. Naturally, debate surrounding the club's incumbent backup-turned-starter, Jameis Winston, arose.
In early September, the Giants made Winston one of the NFL's highest-paid No. 2 passers. Why bring in competition less than a month after investing in him for this exact scenario? Did his abysmal emergency duty outing against the Los Angeles Rams spook general manager Joe Schoen and the front office?
It's fair to wonder whether New York might be putting too much stock in one bad game, especially given the circumstances. For better or worse, low points are an element of the patented Winston experience; he's as volatile as it gets. Schoen and Co. knew exactly what they were signing up for, so what gives?
Well, look no further than the Giants' 12-7 Week 3 slugfest win over the Tennessee Titans.
Jameis Winston feeds into Giants QB chatter with dud vs. Titans
While Big Blue prevailed, it was largely despite Winston. His diminished arm strength was noticeable again. That could've also been because he was playing through a literal nor'easter, though the film in the Rams' indoor SoFi Stadium says otherwise.
Yes, Winston getting a full offseason with the G-Men is undeniably incredibly valuable. He knows their system and is familiar with many of the pass-catchers and offensive linemen. His command of the huddle will be nearly impossible for any newcomer to match on the fly — yet that doesn't matter when tossing ducks.
Winston completed 14 of 22 passes for 118 scoreless yards in the victory versus Tennessee. He took three sacks and lost 18 yards. The veteran recorded an unofficial tackle for loss on his teammate, Cam Skattebo, colliding with the running back on a handoff due to a clear miscommunication.
Frankly, New York was fortunate to defeat the Titans. Winston's struggles were part of the story of the Giants settling for field goals on both red-zone trips (poor play-calling didn't help either). So, money aside, it's easy to see why Schoen may be having second thoughts.
Which QBs could the Giants pursue to pair with Jameis Winston?
Adding a viable QB, especially on such short notice and during the season, is much easier said than done. There are barely 32 quality options, let alone serviceable ones. It'll be fascinating to see if the Giants explore the trade market or kick the tires on a free agent.
Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew II (Arizona Cardinals), J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings), Mac Jones (San Francisco 49ers) and Justin Fields (Kansas City Chiefs) were named as potential targets. New York landing multiple guys is on the table, per FOX Sports' Jay Glazer. Whether any of them are truly an upgrade from Winston is debatable, but it can't get much worse, right?
Giants head coach John Harbaugh notably said that Winston will likely be under center in the team's upcoming clash with the Arizona Cardinals regardless.
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