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Editor's note: This is Part 20 of 26 in Art Stapleton's New York Giants summer series Q&A
The presence of John Harbaugh as head coach represents a new beginning for the New York Giants, and there is reason to believe that this is just the start of a promising future.
With that level of optimism, it's not too early to look ahead and prepare for what's coming down the road, even if the focus remains on Sept. 13 and opening night at MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys.
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For now, there are far more questions than answers as Harbaugh prepares to kick off his first training camp here in West Virginia at the Greenbrier on July 28. But we hope to set the table for the summer and beyond with 26 questions that will define the 2026 Giants season.
Question #20: Is Jameis Winston the best backup QB in the league?
Beyond the 'giggles' and the jovial personality his new New York Giants teammates rave about, James Winston embraces everything that comes with playing quarterback in the NFL.
And if that means his football resume takes a back seat more times than not, Winston promises he is OK with that − as long as people accept that what they see from him is what they get.
Go back to the pre-draft process when Jaxson Dart was asked to name the one player he hoped to get as a teammate in the NFL - before he even joined Winston with the Giants - and his choice was Winston.
The former Heisman Trophy winner is knowledgeable. He's very serious when he needs to be serious, but at the same time he has a light energy about him, a calming essence both on and off the field.
There's also an accountability factor that Winston brings to the practice field and the classroom. He's unafraid to call teammates out for not carrying out assignments or, say, for dropping passes, even on air during walkthroughs.
The sports world enamored with the World Cup got to witness Winston in full effect on the FOX broadcasts, the lasting image of his eventful month on the futbol circuit was dancing in Times Square with teammates Brian Burns and Tyrone Tracy on the Spain-Argentina pre-game show.
Now Winston gets back to being Dart's right-hand man, so to speak. It's an interesting dynamic going into this season compared to last year with Dart and Winston the clear 1-2 in the QB room without Russell Wilson in the building.
So which QB2s in the NFL would you take ahead of Winston? Maybe Joe Flacco. He's more accomplished than Tua Tagovailoa. The loser of the headline-grabbing Kyler Murray/J.J. McCarthy battle in Minnesota is no match for Winston and what he brings to the table.
Winston is still physically-gifted and his aggressiveness is both a blessing and a curse. But when you see what he did on the road in Detroit last year in one of many games coughed up by the defense, Winston shows he has a puncher's chance at producing and maybe even winning some games if forced into duty. There is tremendous value in that, and at age 32, entering the final year of a two-year deal, Winston is worth signing to a new contract to keep him here.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Do the NY Giants have the best backup quarterback in the NFL?
