Jameis Winston News

The New Orleans Saints have re-signed quarterback Jameis Winston to a one-year contract, Ian Rapoport reports. Winston found mild success as a starter for the Saints over the past two seasons, but injuries limited him to just 10 starts over those two years. He'll return to the team for the 2023 season, but will be expected to serve as the primary backup to Derek Carr. Winston appeared to curb his turnover-producing tendencies in 2021 when he threw 14 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions across 7 games, but he unfortunately averaged almost 2 interceptions per game in his 3 2022 starts. Still, he will be a fantasy relevant option in the event that Carr misses any time, and has demonstrated an ability to produce solid passing volume for his wide receivers.

The two-year deal that Winston signed last offseason initially came with a cap hit of $15.6 million for 2023. Following the restructure, though, he'll be able to make up to $8 million in the coming campaign, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Winston started the first three games of this past season for New Orleans before effectively getting shut down after Week 3 in favor of Andy Dalton, despite attaining full health by Week 7. Now with Derek Carr landing a four-year, $150 million contract with the team this offseason, Winston will remain a backup this fall.

If Winston were released as a post-June 1 cut the Saints would save $12.8 million against the cap, but it appears the team is open to keeping him in house as a backup to new top quarterback Derek Carr. The 29-year-old was relegated to backup duties behind Andy Dalton after beginning the 2022 season in the starting role, due in part to the fact that he suffered four fractures in his back Week 1. New Orleans would likely cut Winston if he doesn't agree to terms on a contract restructure, meaning he could still could opt to test his market as a free agent.

New Orleans can save $12.8 million against the cap by releasing Winston, who was relegated to backup duties down the stretch of the 2022 campaign, after June 1. With the team expected to an official agreement with Derek Carr imminently, Winston is clearly an odd man out in the Saints' quarterback room. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton is scheduled to hit free agency, giving New Orleans a clear need at the No. 2 quarterback spot.

Winston finished his third season in New Orleans as the backup quarterback behind 35-year-old journeyman Andy Dalton. The 29-year-old initially took over the Saints' starting job for the first seven contests of the 2021 season before he suffered a torn ACL and sprained MCL in late October. Winston retained his starting job heading into the 2022 campaign, but he played through injury over the first three games after sustaining four fractures in his back Week 1. He was then inactive Weeks 4 and 5, allowing Dalton to take over and never let go of the Saints' No. 1 quarterback spot. Winston returned Week 6 and was listed as the team's No. 2 quarterback for the final 12 games, though he was never deemed 100 percent healthy by the Saints during this span. As a result, it's unclear how much this injury affected the team's decision to roll with Dalton as the starter. With Dalton now set to hit free agency and Winston entering the final season of a two-year, $28 million contract, there's little clarity as to how either of these two fit into New Orleans' plans at quarterback for the 2023 season.

Winston has been able to practice fully for weeks, but Allen continues to stick with Andy Dalton as the Saints' starting quarterback, even though the latter has compiled a 2-5 record in his nods this season. As such, Winston is poised to be the team's No. 2 and may not get a chance to regain the top spot on the depth chart without an absence from Dalton.