The New Orleans Saints are expected to sign Jameis Winston to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. After over a month in free agency, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has found a new home.
Yahoo Sports first reported the news.
Replaced this spring by a living legend in Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, Winston will now play under another, Drew Brees, in the Bayou. The veteran Saints signal-caller just recently signed a two-year deal through 2021 to remain New Orleans’ starter, but also inked a lucrative deal with NBC Sports as a future analyst, on which he could cash in whenever he retires.
If and when Brees does leave New Orleans, perhaps at the end of the 2020 season, Winston could be the next man up. But the former No. 1 overall pick will have competition.
Winston played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and as a redshirt freshman became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy and helped lead the Seminoles to a victory in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game.
Despite leading the league with 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, Winston found it hard to locate a starting job in the first month of free agency. Part of that was due to the fact that Jameis also led the league with 30 interceptions and had just become the first “30-30” quarterback in NFL history, but most of it stemmed from extraordinary circumstances around the NFL and the world. A global pandemic was as likely as all 32 NFL teams having bona fide starters projected in place heading into the draft.
Winston, 26, was the starting QB in Tampa since his rookie season in 2015. He was also named to All-Rookie Team honors and made his first Pro Bowl that season, as well. In 70 games with the Bucs, Winston logged 121 touchdowns and made 61.3% of his passes and threw for 19,737 yards. The Bucs went 28-42 over five seasons with Winston at the helm.
