The Cleveland Browns have been mentioned as a team that is interested in free agent quarterback Jameis Winston, and the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants have been added to the list of teams with “preliminary interest”, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.

On paper, all three of these teams make sense, to varying degrees. The Browns will have Deshaun Watson back as the starter next season, but he has disappointed on the field and dealt with injuries last season, leading to Cleveland playing a number of different quarterbacks last season before settling on Joe Flacco. Jameis Winston would provide a known quantity at backup quarterback and would be an upgrade over players like Dorian Thompson-Robinson and PJ Walker. However, he probably would have a better chance to start games at some point in 2024 with either the Titans or Giants.

The Titans are going into the 2024 season with Will Levis as their starting quarterback, and are hoping to find out what he is after showing some promise in 2023. However, if Will Levis does disappoint, Winston could step in if needed.

The Giants could be Winston's best chance to start games in 2024. Daniel Jones is expected to be the starting quarterback, but it is not a guarantee that he will be ready to start in Week 1 coming off of a torn ACL in November. The Giants also have been rumored to be “done” with Daniel Jones after the poor play and injuries in 2023, and there is a big component to this with his contract.

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The Giants can release Jones next offseason for $22 million in dead cap, but there is a $23 million injury guarantee that kicks in if he can not pass a physical next offseason if he were released. Another significant injury to Jones next season, like a torn ACL or another neck injury, could result in the dead cap hit being around $45 million.

That gives the Giants incentive to not play Jones in 2024, if they truly do not believe in him being their franchise quarterback. This is a similar situation to what Derek Carr and Russell Wilson dealt with. Because of that, Winston could be an attractive option for the Giants in free agency.