The New Orleans Saints are interested in bringing quarterback Jameis Winston back for another season. The rest is up to him.
According to a report from ESPNs' Dianna Russini, the team has offered Winston a restructured deal to remain with the team. Details of the deal were not disclosed. Winston was set to earn $12.8 million on the second year of a deal signed before the 2022 season.
The ball is now in Winston's court. He could return to the Saints, where -- barring injury -- he would back up the Saints' new quarterback in Derek Carr after entering the past two seasons as the starter. Both seasons were ultimately marred by injury after a 5-2 start in 2021 and a 1-2 start in 2022. The remainder of the 2021 season was finished out by a combination of Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill, while Andy Dalton started the final 14 games of 2022 and ultimately was moved ahead of Winston on the depth chart midseason. The Saints narrowly missed the postseason in both years.
Winston, 29, spoke during the HBCU Legacy Bowl earlier this offseason and indicated a desire to return to the Saints.
Should Winston decline the offer he would be expected to be released by the start of the NFL's legal tampering period for free agency on March 15. The Saints currently sit about $25 million over the salary cap and have to navigate under it by 3 p.m. on that date. Winston remained an option to potentially return as the starter until the team agreed to a 4-year, $150 million contract with Carr earlier this week, though they did not make much of an effort to disguise their pursuit of Carr. It was a similar scenario to the pursuit of a Deshaun Watson trade a year prior, with the QB landing with the Browns and the Saints turning back to Winston for another season.
Related
Winston would be an interesting commodity on the open market, though it's unclear what the interest level would be for team in need of a quarterback. A team like the Colts, who will likely draft a young passer early in the 2022 draft, could be attracted to Winston as a veteran option to start the year as they mold their QB of the future. He could also be on the radar for a team like the Bucs, the team that selected him No. 1 overall in 2015, if their commitment to Kyle Trask isn't as solid as they've projected. If not with the Saints, he could also serve as a premium backup option for a competitive team like the Dolphins who have injury questions with starter Tua Tagovailoa.
Winston was consistent and effective in his first year with the Saints, leading the team to a 5-2 record with a TD/interception ratio of 14/3 in Year 1, turning around a major narrative stemming from his 33 touchdown-30 INT season from 2019. He scuffled in Year 2 with injuries cropping up nearly immediately. He did lead a franchise record 16-point comeback in the 4th quarter against the Falcons in Week 1, but threw just two touchdowns against five interceptions the next two weeks as he battled through foot and back injuries.
Should Winston decline the Saints' offer, a major question on their offseason checklist will land at backup quarterback. One clear option under those circumstances would be Dalton, with the 36-year-old hitting the free agent market for the 4th time in as many seasons.
Related
