The New York Giants will likely be in the market for a new franchise quarterback in 2025. However, finding one capable of stepping in and starting immediately is easier said than done.
While recent standout quarterbacks such as Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans have managed to transform their respective franchises, there have also been numerous cases of quarterbacks being thrown into the fire too soon. For this reason, the Giants would be wise to plan ahead and prepare to sign a quality bridge quarterback in the 2025 offseason.
The Giants should sign a bridge quarterback to help develop a rookie
The last thing the Giants should do is rush a rookie quarterback into the starting lineup. This strategy has backfired for several teams across the NFL in recent seasons; the Indianapolis Colts with Anthony Richardson and the Carolina Panthers with Bryce Young, among other examples.
It is beneficial to have a veteran quarterback on the roster who can step in immediately, utilize his experience, and help the team win games while the rookie develops. Only when a rookie is ready to play should they play, and sometimes those drafted quarterbacks can wind up waiting more than one season for their opportunity to start; Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs are prime examples.
Even Baltimore Ravens MVP Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen sat behind a veteran bridge quarterback before earning the starting job. It is a useful strategy to help develop a young quarterback and takes pressure away from the speed of the development process.
The upcoming 2025 NFL Draft class will have some intriguing first-round quarterback prospects. However, several of those prospects are expected to be raw, developmental quarterbacks who may need extended time to grow into a starting NFL role.
Two of the top quarterback prospects that the Giants have been linked to, Miami’s Cam Ward and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, are both labeled developmental. The Giants would be wise to invest in a bridge quarterback next offseason to prepare for their probable drafting of a rookie quarterback who may need time to learn and develop before starting.
Jameis Winston could make sense as a bridge QB signing in 2025
If the Giants do dip their toes in the 2025 free-agency quarterback market, one veteran gunslinger stands out as the perfect bridge. Cleveland Browns QB Jameis Winston is an underrated quarterback who would help the Giants win games while they wait for their rookie to develop into a starting-caliber talent.
Winston recently took over as the Browns’ starting quarterback following a season-ending injury to their usual starter Deshaun Watson. In his first start of the season in Week 8, Winston went 27-of-41 passing (65%) for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions en route to an upset win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Throughout his career, Winston has been known as a controversial gunslinger. While he’s thrown for 20 or more touchdowns in a single season three times (including a 33-touchdown 2019 campaign), he’s also thrown 15 or more interceptions four times (including a 30-interception 2019 campaign). He’s also been labeled an excellent locker-room leader throughout his NFL career in both starting and backup roles.
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Winston has always been a boom-or-bust quarterback. Teams will win games thanks to home and lose games due to him. The Giants could benefit from Winston’s aggressive, albeit reckless nature, however. They struggle to create explosive plays, but those kinds of plays seem to be all that Winston is capable of generating.
The Giants need to take their time and ensure that they do not screw up the development of their next quarterback. Signing Winston would give them plenty of time to let that rookie sit, grow, and learn from a valued veteran signal-caller while preparing to eventually take over as the next franchise quarterback.
