Russell Wilson’s addition to Giants could be part of bigger ploy for second-round pick, NFL analyst suggests

The New York Giants finally made a quarterback move during free agency, signing Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal that can ascend to $16 million with incentives. The team was expected to compete for Aaron Rodgers' signing, but he's likely to move to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Winston's addition, in the eyes of NBC Sports reporter Mike Florio, could be part of a bigger plot by the Giants. Florio mentioned the possible signing of Russell Wilson to take over as the starter. He also says that it would not impede the franchise from adding a quarterback in the second round of the draft:

"If they add Russell Wilson, going into the draft, they've got Wilson and Winston and DeVito. You're not going to be thinking (that) the Giants are looking at a quarterback, which means that teams are going to be less inclined to try to jump the Giants in round two if that's their target range for a quarterback.

"You don't have to worry about that because people say, 'Oh, they're not taking a quarterback. We don't need to get in front of the Giants,' and then they take a quarterback."

The Giants are still in play to sign Wilson, even with Winston joining the franchise, according to a report by Florio on Sunday.

Dianna Russini confirms that Giants want to sign Russell Wilson to start in 2025

Winston's signing will see him as a backup for the 2025 season, continuing the theme of his career with the New Orleans Saints and the Cleveland Browns. The Athletic insider Dianna Russini recently said that New York's plans include former Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson:

“(Giants) are hoping that Russell Wilson or Joe Flacco decide to come to New York. I think that's going to wind up being one of their backup plans, one or the other.”

Wilson had the Steelers in the playoffs, but the franchise currently has not re-signed either him or Justin Fields, his backup. Fields signed a deal with the New York Jets to take over the spot vacated by Aaron Rodgers, the Jets' leader for the past two seasons.