Jameis Winston isn’t one of the many new faces on New Orleans’ offense, but his absence from the team midway through 2021 will make him seem like a new arrival this fall.
He spoke recently about his decision to re-sign with the Saints, which was made within the context of a number of other factors, including his season-ending knee injury.
When asked about his commitment to stay in New Orleans, the 28-year-old said, via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer he "always had faith to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league."
"I’m just an optimistic guy, and I played a season where I felt like I improved on some of the areas that I had a lot of doubt in, and I was confident with that," Winston said. "I wish I could’ve finished with this team, with where things were trending.”
The Saints were 5-2 when Winston went down, hampering the team’s offense and ending a campaign in which he put up 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions.
Having failed to land Deshaun Watson this offseason, the Saints re-signed Winston to a two-year deal. That leaves him as the undisputed starter for the first time in New Orleans, as the team searches for a long-term Drew Brees replacement. He will take the place as the No. 1 with a receiving corps now featuring a healthy Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry and first-rounder Chris Olave.
Much of Winston’s success will depend on his recovery from knee surgery. Breer notes that he is still targeting training camp as the point at which he will be “full go." That is in line with the reporting on the matter when OTAs began last week.
However, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio details, Winston is still moving with a “visible limp” at this point. While it is true that his ramp-up to full motion is in the early stages, that news should be reason for pause with respect to the team’s optimism he will be fully recovered in time for the start of the season.
More must-reads: