Quarterback Jameis Winston now has the opportunity to become Drew Brees’ successor in the New Orleans Saints.
Just a day after Brees announced his retirement, Winston and the Saints reached an agreement on a one-year contract worth up to $ 12 million, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Former general draft number 1 and Heisman Trophy winner spent his first five seasons as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing a one-year contract in New Orleans last summer to try to revive his career as a reserve for the Saints.
Although Winston played in moderation, the Saints were impressed enough to bring him back to compete with Taysom Hill for the first spot this year.
“Who Dat! #NOLA #DreamForever”, the former No. 1 of the general choice of the draft and winner of the Heisman Trophy tweeted Monday afternoon.
Who Dat! ⚜️⚜️⚜️ #NOLA #Always dream
– Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) March 16, 2021
Sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the Chicago Bears were serious suitors for Winston in Monday’s free agency process before he chose the Saints.
The Saints will have to earn a little more space for the salary cap before the start of the new league year on Wednesday. They started off-season with almost $ 100 million over the limit, but reduced that number to about $ 10 million earlier this week.
Winston, who turned 27 in January, was 28-42 as a starter in Tampa, completing 61.3% of his passes with 19,737 yards, 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. He exhibited some dynamic ups and downs during that term – especially in 2019. That year, he led the league with 5,109 passing yards, but also became the first defender in NFL history to launch at least 30 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions. in the same season.
Turnover has been Winston’s biggest obstacle, with a total of 111 in the league from 2015 to 2019.
When the Buccaneers decided to move on to Tom Brady, Winston decided to try to revive his career in New Orleans. He signed a one-year contract worth just $ 1.1 million plus incentives because he said he wanted to get a “Harvard education at quarterback school” with Sean Payton and Brees.
Winston did not have much field experience in New Orleans, behind Brees and Hill. But he made his best move of the season when he completed a 56-yard touchdown pass in a trick play in the playoff defeat of Saints for his former team. Winston had 7 of 11 to 75 yards in the regular season, with no touchdowns or turnovers.
Payton made it clear after the season that the Saints wanted to sign again with Winston and let him compete with Hill for the initial post after Brees’ retirement. Payton said that Winston was “fantastic as a leader”, in addition to his talent for the arm.
Winston was suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season after an eight-month NFL investigation concluded that he engaged in harmful conduct in March 2016 by touching an Uber driver “inappropriately and sexually without her consent” . An agreement was reached in a separate process.