New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston did not treat Wednesday as a coronation.
With Jaxson Dart set to miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a knee injury on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams, the veteran described a job he has chased for years and a duty he still intends to carry for a teammate in the building.
“This is what I’ve always dreamed of, to be a starting quarterback,” Winston told reporters. “Obviously, my respects and gratitude is just going to be with Jaxson, but at the same time, this is what I dream of. I dream of being what I am right now and executing at a high level.”
Winston will start on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium with 15 games left. He said the work has not changed.
“Only
the role changes. The mentality is the same,” he said, pointing to respect earned last season, when he started two games, and to the servant-leader approach he has taken with the Giants.
The assignment is narrow. Being the Giants’ starter is “truly a privilege” and “an honor.” This week the focus is elite fundamentals, precise execution, and one game at a time.
“I am very confident in my ability to execute with precision and to lead the New York Football Giants to victories,” Winston said.
That confidence sits beside a private push. Winston said his brother challenged him after last week’s game, the same brother who once asked whether he wanted to be the man again. He called the chance a beautiful opportunity. Every day he writes down the same goal: To be a Super Bowl-winning, starting NFL quarterback.
He does not intend to make the stretch a personal showcase. The fans, he said, want wins. Sunday adds a familiar face. Brian Daboll, now Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, helped bring Winston to New York with general manager Joe Schoen.
Winston will be happy to see that staff, then compete against Robert Saleh and the Titans' defense.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Jameis Winston: Starting job a 'dream' and duty to Jaxson Dart
