​The answer to a “huge mystery” involving New York Giants’ quarterback Jameis Winston could involve the starting passer carrying an injury.Winston’s struggling to make even standard NFL throws in this Giants’ offense. GettyThe New York Giants don’t plan on staring new quarterback J.J. McCarthy right away, but that could change in a hurry if it turns out stand-in starter Jameis Winston’s carrying an injury that would explain a growing “mystery” about his recent performances.Winston playing hurt is a theory put forward by Dan Duggan of The Athletic. His speculation is fuelled by Winston’s consistent problems with arm strength through nearly two games this season.Duggan believes “It’s a huge mystery why he’s (Winston’s) been throwing the ball the way he has in these two appearances. For all of his flaws, arm strength has never been one. Seeing so many routine passes come up short has me wondering if he’s OK physically.”No. It’s a huge mystery why he’s been throwing the ball the way he has in these two appearances. For all of his flaws, arm strength has never been one. Seeing so many routine passes come up short has me wondering if he’s OK physically https://t.co/NtbBSc0TWQ — Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) September 29, 2026While it’s reasonable to wonder about the health of Winston’s throwing arm, the Giants have already downplayed those concerns. There are also other reasons to explain Winston’s erratic accuracy. Reasons related to scheme and personnel.Concerns about Winston’s fit with both of those things likely motivated the Giants choosing to trade for McCarthy. Even at the cost of giving up 2027 NFL draft capital to the Minnesota Vikings.Those same concerns could also determine who’s the next quarterback the Giants still plan to sign.Jameis Winston’s Struggles Lead to Difficult QuestionsWinston isn’t playing well. That was obvious throughout his miserable, zero-touchdown performance during the 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.He continued displaying the same faults he’d shown after entering Week 2’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, following Jaxson Dart suffering a season-ending knee injury. Both performances were marked by Winston consistently failing to connect on vertical throws.The broader problem is Winston’s overall accuracy. He’s completed only 51 percent of his passes and averaged a mere 4.7 yards per attempt, according to Pro Football Reference.GettyWinston’s struggling to make even standard NFL throws in this Giants’ offense.
That last stat shouldn’t belong to a boom-or-bust passer known throughout his career for challenging coverage deep. All of Winston’s mediocre numbers also raise uncomfortable questions about why the Giants gave the 32-year-old a pricey contract extension days before the start of the 2026 NFL season.Those questions will get tougher if Winston has an underlying injury the Giants missed, and that’s why they traded for McCarthy.As Shaun Morash of