Saints All-Pro Makes Trade Plea to Giants Pro Bowl QB

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A New Orleans Saints All-Pro wants the New York Giants to help by trading a Pro Bowl quarterback.

He hasn’t played a snap for the New York Giants yet, but speculation Jameis Winston is already on the trade block simply won’t go away. Not when an All-Pro former teammate wants the Giants to trade the Pro Bowl quarterback to the New Orleans Saints.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan, an eight-time Pro Bowler with 121.5 sacks to his credit, is talking up a reunion with Winston. The two played together in New Orleans from 2020-’23, and Jordan wants his QB-needy team to strike a deal for the strong-armed passer.

Appearing on the Up & Adams Show, Jordan told host Kay Adams, “If I’m being non-biased, Jameis. There’s Russell over there, they got Jaxson Dart.”

Jordan concluded with the emphatic statement, “I’m going all in. Jameis as a veteran quarterback, come on over.”

The fit is an obvious and sensible one, given how popular Winston was with the Saints. They need a QB1, or at least some veteran cover for rookie Tyler Shough.

Ironically, the role of experienced backup is one Winston is expected to play for the Giants. While he can expect to challenge de factor starter Russell Wilson, the 31-year-old may have a better chance of stepping in ahead of Shough during this season.

The Giants might even agree if they become concerned about too many established signal-callers blocking or slowing the development of Jaxson Dart, the 25th player taken in the 2025 NFL draft.

Winston has trade value, but his importance to the Giants has also been underlined by some smart work during OTAs.

Jameis Winston Trade a Tricky Choice for Giants

A solid pedigree as a talented deep passer makes Winston somebody the Giants can’t dispense with on a whim. Not when he’s a credible challenger to Wilson’s status as the anointed leader of this season’s depth chart at football’s most important position.

The challenge has already begun based on how Winston has caught the eye this offseason. Notably, with throws like this one to wide receiver Darius Slayton.

Jameis connects with Slayton 🙌

This kind of arm talent has helped Winston compare favorably to some lukewarm performances from Wilson.

As Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News put it, “The Giants offense’s operation with Wilson has not been smooth or consistently productive or explosive in any of the open practice sessions yet.” Leonard contrasted those struggles with Winston still being “the big-play hunter. The gunslinger. The veteran who likes to let it rip.”

The difference between the two prompted Leonard to expect Winston to see the field for the Giants once the games that matter begin. It’s a prediction shared by others who believe Wilson will be sent to the bench at some point.

If he is, the Giants will face a tricky choice between trying to win with Winston now or taking their lumps while Dart learns on the field.

Jaxson Dart Development Should Influence Trade Call

Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are both under pressure from ownership, but they remain content to trust Wilson. It could be the right call if the 10-time Pro Bowler plays as cleanly as he has at times this offseason, but Dart’s development is ultimately Daboll and Schoen’s best case for sticking around.

They traded back into Round 1 to get the franchise quarterback they had failed to develop the previous three years. Dart is a mobile playmaker with a gifted arm, traits he shares with NFL MVP Josh Allen, who began his development into stardom on Daboll’s watch with the Buffalo Bills from 2018-’22.

If Dart responds well to Daboll’s coaching, he could be primed to play ahead of schedule. That would likely encourage weekly questions during the season about when the former Ole Miss star will start, but Dart’s better than expected readiness would make it easier to swap Winston for some future draft capital.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko