The Cleveland Browns have agreed to sign New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
It’s a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million.
Winston will step in and serve as Deshaun Watson’s primary backup in Cleveland, which puts an obvious end to Joe Flacco’s time with the Browns.
Winston is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he appeared in seven games and went 25-for-47 with 264 yards, a couple of touchdowns and three interceptions.
The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, was originally selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He spent the first five years of his career with the Buccaneers and actually made the Pro Bowl during his rookie campaign, throwing for 4,042 yards, 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
But overall, Winston was a massive disappointment in Tampa Bay. He never made another trip to the Pro Bowl during his time there, and he famously led the league with 30 interceptions while also tossing 33 touchdown passes in his final season with the club in 2019.
Winston then proceeded to join the Saints as Drew Brees’ backup in 2020.
Following Brees’ retirement that ensuing offseason, Winston had some chances to start in 2021 and 2022, making 10 starts in total. In 2021, he was impressive, totaling 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and three picks across seven starts.
Still, Winston never showed enough to win the starting job permanently in New Orleans, and now, he is viewed as nothing more than a very capable backup.
If Watson continues to struggle in Cleveland, perhaps Jameis Winston will get the chance to see some playing time in 2024.
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