'They're outdoing the odds': Jameis Winston has high praise for Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley

Rivals are not supposed to compliment each other, especially in the NFC East where the hatred runs deep. Don't tell that to Jameis Winston. 

The New York Giants' backup quarterback is known for his positivity and good vibes, despite being one of the most erratic quarterbacks in the league with 111 interceptions in 105 career games. 

Negativity usually isn't a part of Winston's vocabulary. That was the case on Wednesday, when he heaped praise on Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, during an appearance on Ryan Clark's podcast "The Pivot."

"I'm so grateful that Saquon is getting his flowers and he's showing the world what type of dynamic back he is, not just in between the trenches, but outside as well catching the ball," Winston said. "Him and Jalen man are what the league never wanted to see."

Clark quickly asked Winston his reasoning for saying that.

"Well, because Jalen is poised and he's gonna get the simple stuff. He'll get five yards here, eight yards there, nine yards there, and then boom, he bombs you over Baghdad," Winston responded. "They said we never were able to play like that from a quarterback position.

"Saquon is, 'he's too shifty.' Oh, 'he doesn't run in between the tackles. He dodges tackles' and stuff. They were like 'a finesse back isn't gonna be able to make it like that.'"

Winston isn't very entrenched in the Eagles-Giants rivalry — he signed with New York in March — and it doesn't seem like he's taking it very personally. Winston is currently backing up Russell Wilson, so he might not even appear against the Eagles this season. Still, it's interesting to see a someone speak in such high regard for two rival players. 

We saw it recently with former Dallas Cowboys' wide receiver Dez Bryant, when he took to social media to defend Hurts. He called him a "top-five quarterback" after Cam Newton said he's not even top 10.

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Hurts has dominated discourse all summer, with pundits arguing over his standing among NFL quarterbacks. Every other day, someone has a take about Hurts, which usually centers around the idea he's carried by the roster, specifically Barkley. Meanwhile, Winston decided to pair his praise for the dynamic duo.

"They're outdoing the odds, both of them. Saquon had a team that didn't believe in him," Winston said, alluding to the Giants, his current employer. "I'm grateful for that team, but he had a team that didn't beleive in the type of player that he is and he used that to fuel his fire." 

This is where the comedy of Winston comes into play. While complimenting Barkley, he's also dissing his current team, which he figured out mid-sentence. Winston certainly doesn't mean any ill-will towards the Giants, but he can't ignore the mistake they made by letting Barkley go. All he did was point out the facts.

He finished off by circling back to Hurts and the slander he has to deal with on a day-to-day basis. 

"Jalen is still getting doubted by naysayers," Winston said emphatically to Clark and his co-hosts Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor. "What did I say is the most important thing a quarterback does?"

Clark and Crowder both responded: "Win."

"That's all a quarterback has to do," Winston said.