Jameis Winston has gone from No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft to not being able to compete for a starting job in the league.
Once the New Orleans Saints signed four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr, it seemed that Winston would be gone.
That’s not the case. NFL insider Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported Monday evening that Winston has decided to remain with the Saints. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport followed that up by indicating that Winston’s restructured deal is for one season and will pay him up to $8 million with incentives.
For head coach Dennis Allen and the Saints, this is no small thing. It creates stability in a quarterback room that has been missing just that since Drew Brees’ retirement after the 2020 season. At the very least, Winston has familiarity in offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael’s system.
- Jameis Winston stats: 61.3% completion, 21,840 passing yards, 139 TD, 96 INT, 79.5 QB rating
Someone with Winston’s experience is not too bad behind Carr in the quarterback room. It also enables Taysom Hill to be the No. 3 guy and a gadget player for the Saints.
Related: Sportsnaut’s NFL free agent tracker and grades
The No. 1 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2015, Winston started three games last season. He threw four touchdowns against five interceptions in the process.
Back in 2021, Winston performed pretty well before suffering a torn ACL. That season saw him throw 14 touchdowns compared to three interceptions in seven starts. Winston’s last full-time gig as a starter was back in 2019 with Tampa Bay when he threw a whopping 30 interceptions.
It will be interesting to see the dynamics play out in the Bayou next season with Derek Carr and Jameis Winston leading the quarterback room. That’s for sure.