Giants and quarterback Jameis Winston agree to 2-year, $8 million deal, AP source says

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Giants and quarterback Jameis Winston agree to 2-year, $8 million deal, AP source says

2025-03-22 09:45 Last Updated At：09:50

Jameis Winston is ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple. And maybe eat some wins for the New York Giants, too.

The 31-year-old quarterback agreed to terms with the Giants on a two-year, $8 million contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday night.

Winston joins Tommy DeVito as the only quarterbacks on the Giants’ roster. New York has been in the market in free agency for a veteran, with Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco also mentioned as possible targets.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the deal. Fox Sports first reported that Winston was joining the Giants, adding that the deal could be for as much as $16 million with incentives.

“Start spreading the neWs,” Winston wrote on X, a play on his infamous “Eat a W” pregame speech with Tampa Bay in 2017. He added an apple emoji while appearing to confirm his Big Apple welcome.

New York’s quarterback situation has been unsettled this offseason, with the only move at the position since free agency began last week being the re-signing of DeVito. The team had interest in the Rams' Matthew Stafford, who was given permission to explore trade options but later agreed to a restructured contract with Los Angeles.

The Giants then appeared to be waiting on the 41-year-old Rodgers, who spent the last two seasons with the Jets but was released on March 13.

Rodgers, who hasn’t publicly said he’ll play a 21st NFL season, met with Pittsburgh on Friday, according to another person with knowledge of the situation — signaling an interest on both sides. He spent several hours in the team’s facility gathering information, but left without signing a contract. That person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the meeting was not made public.

Wilson, who spent last season in Pittsburgh, also remains a free agent and his next move could be predicated on what Rodgers decides.

The Giants continued to explore their options and reportedly recently met with Winston, Wilson and Flacco. They now have their veteran in Winston to pair with DeVito — and also hold the No. 3 pick in the NFL draft next month. So, a top quarterback such as Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders could still be in play.

Winston played in 12 games last season for Cleveland and started in seven after Deshaun Watson was injured, throwing for 2,121 yards and 13 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He set a Browns record with 497 yards passing in Week 13 with four TDs against Denver, but also had three interceptions — two of which were returned for scores — in Cleveland's 41-32 loss.

He spent the previous four seasons in New Orleans primarily as a backup.

Winston was the No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2015 draft out of Florida State. He got off to a solid start to his NFL career, finishing second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Rams running back Todd Gurley, and surpassed 4,000 yards passing in each of his first two seasons. But he also struggled with his consistency and interceptions in key moments became an issue.

Winston threw for a league-leading 5,109 yards and had 33 touchdowns in 2019, but also led the NFL with a career-worst 30 interceptions in his last season as the Buccaneers’ starter. He signed with the Saints in 2020 to be Drew Brees’ backup and then re-signed the following offseason the day after Brees announced his retirement.

He started seven games in 2021 before a torn ACL ended his season. A back injury limited him the following season as he became the backup to Andy Dalton. Winston again re-signed with the Saints in 2023, serving as Derek Carr’s backup.

Winston has passed for 24,225 yards and 154 touchdowns with 111 interceptions in 10 NFL seasons.

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi and AP Sports Writer Will Graves contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Israel fires on Lebanon after rocket attack in the heaviest exchange since truce with Hezbollah

2025-03-22 22:18 Last Updated At：22:20

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Israel struck Lebanon on Saturday in retaliation for rockets targeting Israel, killing two, including a child, in the heaviest exchange of fire since its ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah almost four months ago.

The rockets fired from Lebanon were the second ones launched since December and again sparked concern about whether the ceasefire would hold. In a statement, Hezbollah denied being responsible for the latest attack, saying it was committed to the truce.

Israel had said it would respond “severely” to the early Saturday attack targeting northern Israel. Israel's army said the intercepted rockets targeted the Israeli town of Metula. An Israeli official said six rockets were fired and three crossed into Israeli territory and were intercepted.

The official said Israel could not confirm the identity of the group that fired the rockets. The official said the military struck targets across southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s health ministry said the strike in the southern village of Touline killed two people and wounded eight others.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said it instructed the army to act forcefully against dozens of targets in Lebanon, adding: “Israel will not allow any harm to its citizens and sovereignty.” Israel’s army said it struck dozens of rocket launchers and a command center where Hezbollah was operating.

In a statement, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam asked the Lebanese military to take all necessary measures in the south but said the country did not want to return to war.

Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict boiled over into all-out war in September as Israel carried out massive waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant group’s senior leaders. The fighting killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 60,000 Israelis.

Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January under a ceasefire struck on Nov. 27. The deadline was extended to Feb. 18.

But Israel has remained in five locations in Lebanon, across from communities in northern Israel. It has carried out dozens of airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, saying it attacked Hezbollah, while continuing drone attacks that have killed several members of the militant group.

Lebanon has appealed to the U.N. to pressure Israel to fully withdraw from the country.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said it was alarmed at the possible escalation of violence and urged all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made.

The strikes came a day after Israel said it would carry out operations in Gaza “with increasing intensity” until Hamas frees the 59 hostages it holds — 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

Israeli strikes on Friday night killed at least nine people, including three children, in a house in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies.

“Rubble and glass started falling on us,” said Sameh al-Mashharawi, who lost his brother in the attack. He mourned with his young nephew Samir al-Mashharawi, whose parents and siblings were killed. The 12-year-old, his head and wrists bandaged, sat in the back of a truck and cried.

Israel's military said Friday its forces were planning fresh assaults into three neighborhoods west of Gaza City and issued warnings on social media for Palestinians to evacuate the areas.

Around 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel relaunched the war earlier this week. Israel had already cut off the supply of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, aiming to pressure Hamas over ceasefire negotiations.

The international community has condemned the resumed attacks.

The initial 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Most of the hostages have been freed in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 49,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It does not say how many were militants but says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Shurafa reported from Deir Al-Balah, Gaza. Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war