Jameis Winston was linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers briefly, but he ultimately decided to sign with the New York Giants. On an episode of Not Just Football, Steelers star Cam Heyward praised the move and called it a great “bridge” option for the Giants. However, he also couldn’t resist taking a playful jab at Winston’s well-documented tendency to throw a ton of interceptions.
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Heyward seemed pleased while discussing the move. Even though Winston was linked to his Steelers — a team currently in quarterback limbo that will decide their 2025 season — there appear to be no hard feelings, at least from Heyward, about his decision to join the Giants instead.
“I think Jameis is a pretty good quarterback,” the defensive lineman started off before continuing,
“I thought he should’ve started more down the stretch for the Browns… But you know, Jameis, he can put up some numbers. I remember that Denver game. I think he had 500 yards passing. He brings a good energy to the group, so I think the Giants got better.”
It may be a good move for the Giants, but with recent news that Russell Wilson is signing with the team as well, Winston will slot in as the backup. It’ll be his third team in six seasons, and he’s only started 17 games during that span.
But that doesn’t mean the Giants didn’t get a quality backup. It’s a role that Winston is used to being in, and usually, when he gets his chance, he surprises us. Last season, he led an upset win over the Baltimore Ravens in a wild Week 8 showdown. He also beat the Steelers in Week 12 in a game the Browns weren’t supposed to win.
The issue with Winston is that he’s prone to throwing interceptions. And it’s always his undoing. The Browns benched him after a Week 15 performance where he threw three. He somehow finished with 12 interceptions in just seven games started. Heyward, naturally, decided to throw in a playful jab at Winston after commending him as a playmaker.
“In fantasy, do you get points deducted for interceptions?” Heyward cheekily asked his co-host, letting out a slight laugh.
The host of the show actually asked Heyward what the move means for Malik Nabers’ fantasy value. Of course, the implication is that Nabers’ fantasy owners would be pleased since Winston loves to air it out. But Heyward couldn’t resist sneaking in a jab about Winston’s interceptions.
Winston is the only QB in NFL history to join the 30-30 club. And it’s not a club you want to be part of. He managed to throw 33 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. Fantasy players loved it because he never hesitated to throw deep, which boosted the value of his receivers. Chris Godwin especially benefited that season, making his first Pro Bowl alongside Mike Evans.
Heyward believes that if Winston gets his chance, he might be able to feed a receiver the way he did with Godwin and Evans.
“What he did with the wide receivers in Cleveland. Jerry Jeudy, I felt like he just kept spoon-feeding him. Just kept getting him the ball. But we’ll see. I think Jameis can be a great fantasy bargain, but it’s a bargain or bust.”
The Steelers DL even went on to say that he believes Winston would be a great role model for young QBs if the Giants were to draft one. But as mentioned, now that they’ve signed Russ, that seems less likely.
Still, it was nice to see Heyward commend the move rather than be salty about it. The Steelers still have Mason Rudolph slated to start at QB for now. He probably would’ve preferred Winston to sign with them as a bridge option, but instead, Winston will be backing up Russ in New York.
Heyward is known as the heartbeat of the Steelers organization. He’s played with them for his entire 14-year career. It’s been rumored that he even helped the team trade for DK Metcalf via text message. He has a ton of pull within the organization. So, his words are monumental.
