Saints coach Sean Payton has been unusually cavalier in listing Winston among his options at quarterback for 2021, suggesting there’s at least an agreement in the works to bring the free agent back for another year. So it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. Any team interested in signing Winston is doing so off of faith in his progress rather than much evidence to prove it.
Only the Saints have actually seen Winston go to work in practice over the last year, having limited his game tape by starting Taysom Hill ahead of him during a four-game sequence while Brees recovered from injuries. That could give them a leg up over more well-off suitors like the Colts and Bears in March. He’s since cleaned up his act in both phases, but only the Saints know whether the changes to his play style and personal behavior are worth buying into. He was also involved in a number of off-field incidents as part of a pattern that’s gone back to his college days at Florida State. Winston was prone to turnovers in Tampa Bay, totaling 80 interceptions and 50 fumbles through those five years. He rationalized the low salary as a way to mentor with Drew Brees and learn from one of the greatest passers of all time, but someone with his starting experience should command a much higher payday this spring.Įspecially if he’s corrected the mistakes that plagued his Buccaneers tenure. Last summer, Winston signed with the Saints after failing to garner much interest as a free agent his one-year, $1.1 million contract was so far beneath his market value that fans and analysts on social media were sent into a brief conniption fit. Tampa Bay, of course, signed Tom Brady as a free agent and he’s since led the Bucs to a Super Bowl.
#Jameis winston bears pro#
Winston made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2015 but ended his career with 30 interceptions and 5,109 passing yards in 2019, leading the league in both categories. He spent a year working with the Saints coaching staff - including quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, since hired as Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator - after a tumultuous 72-game run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2020 season taught most of them some painful lessons about complacency.Īnd Winston should be an enticing addition.
He didn’t experience much demand last offseason, but that was due to so many teams feeling comfortable about their QB situations. With Stafford off the market (and Jared Goff replacing him with the Detroit Lions), each of those teams will now scramble for other options. If anything, he should be one of the top names available after the blockbuster Matthew Stafford trade saw the Los Angeles Rams emerge victorious from a crowded field, which included the Bears and Colts along with the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Football Team, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Winston, 27, shouldn’t lack for opportunities, though other teams cannot offer him contract terms or even contact him until the NFL legal tampering window opens in mid-March. The New Orleans Saints backup was connected to both the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts by NFL analyst Evan Massey, who added that the Saints would like to keep Winston around after working with him during the 2020 season. Jameis Winston could be headed for a more active free agency than expected.
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