Saints coach Sean Payton was a guest on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football Wednesday and bluntly told the show’s host that New Orleans wants Jameis Winston to return for the 2021 season.
Related
“We had a great exposure, for one year, with Jameis Winston,” he said. “And we didn’t have a normal off season but we had enough time to see what we had a with him as a player, as a leader, as an athlete.
“I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team and that’s hard to do when you come in new, in free agency, your first year as a backup quarterback. So that’ll be an important checkmark for us.
Payton said that “a lot of times you want to hold your cards closer to the vest” when dealing with free agency but said the Saints would like to have him back.
“But him, along with Taysom Hill who’s in the building, we’ve said it all along, we’re gonna develop and coach those guys and Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in.”
Winston signed with the Saints prior to the 2020 season after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He appeared in four games and threw for 75 yards in the regular season. He also threw a touchdown pass in the Saints Divisional matchup against the Buccaneers.
Related
Winston recently did an interview with FOX’s Michael Vick and said that his only focus in free agency will be about winning.
“When you think about free agency, it’s about winning,” Winston told Vick. “I want to be part of an organization that’s ready to win, that’s willing to win because all I’m focused on is winning.”
Related
