Former Pro Bowl QB Jameis Winston named Saints' starting quarterback
The Jameis Winston era is set to begin in New Orleans.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Saints have named Winston their starting quarterback and he will make his first start for New Orleans in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.
Saints players were seen Thursday congratulating Winston, who Schefter adds locked up the job with a strong performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars Monday night.
Winston completed nine-of-10 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-21 win over the Jaguars. It was his best performance of the preseason.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback competed with Taysom Hill for the starting job this summer. He has much more experience and Saints head coach Sean Payton enjoys using Hill as a running back, receiver and special teams player.
When the now-retired Drew Brees went down with an injury last season, Payton opted to start Hill over Winston, sparking speculation that he would be the team's next quarterback. However, it was later reported that Payton struggled with that decision, and many players believed Winston would be the starter in the veteran's absence.
To keep the starting job, Winston will have to play better than he did the last time he was a starter with the Bucs in 2019. The 27-year-old went 7-9, completing 60.7% of his passes for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns against 30 interceptions. He became the first player in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season.
Based on Winston's work this summer, it appears Payton is confident the Florida St. product can bounce back.
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