Who Should I Start? Derek Carr or Jameis Winston

Friday, May 16, 12:31 PM

Everyone concedes that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) was dealing with a torn right labrum and "significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff," but not everyone believes it's the full story of why he abruptly retired, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Katherine Terrell. Just before free agency in early March, word began to spread within league circles that Carr, who was heading into the third year of a four-year, $150 million contract, was open to playing elsewhere. According to three league sources, one of his representatives spoke with at least two teams in the market for a QB about potential interest in Carr. A team source said Carr had a close kinship with last season's coaches in New Orleans, who are all now gone, and the Saints' plan to restructure his contract was another potential source of friction. New head coach Kellen Moore never fully committed to Carr being the starter in 2025, either, before learning of his shoulder injury. It sounds as though in addition to his shoulder injury, Carr knew 2025 was going to be his last with the Saints, and rather than trying to figure out a plan to play elsewhere, he decided to hang up his cleats.

Friday, March 21, 10:13 PM

The New York Giants and free-agent quarterback Jameis Winston are finalizing a two-year, $8 million deal on Friday that could be worth up to $16 million with incentives, multiple sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. Winston now joins Tommy DeVito as the only quarterbacks on the Giants roster, but the G-Men are still fully expected to sign another veteran QB -- either Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson -- while also possibly taking a rookie QB with the third overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The 31-year-old Winston, the former first overall pick out of Florida State by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, famously led the league with 5,109 passing yards and also 30 interceptions in 2019 with the Bucs. He ended up playing in 12 games (seven starts) for the Browns in 2024 after Deshaun Watson's (Achilles) season-ending injury but was eventually benched after throwing 13 TDs and 12 picks. If Winston is starting in 2025, he'll be a turnover-prone, low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.