When Jameis Wintson signed with the New Orleans Saints, he expected to have the starting quarterback job, but he has been far from it. Now, the quarterback got real on his chances of staying in the NFC South in 2023, addressing all the rumors about his possible exit.
In 2020, Winston signed with the Saints on a 1-year deal. There were tons of doubts about how would he perform or if he would even be the starting quarterback at New Orleans.
His time at Louisiana has not been so regular since then. He was relegated by Andy Dalton, who will become a free agent this year, and it is uncertain if Winston will continue with the Saints or if he’ll look for a new team for the next season.
Jameis Winston isn’t sure if he’ll stay with the Saints next season
Jameis Winston still has one year left in his contract with the Saints, but will he complete it? The 29-year-old is not sure if he’ll stay with the team, mostly because of his deal.
“Technically I’m not a free agent just yet, I have one more year under contract,” Winston said Saturday on NFL Network during the HBCU Legacy Bowl, via Brooke Kirchhofer. “My main thing right now is making sure I just stay healthy and be ready to play. That’s the only thing that’s on my mind. I’ve got to be ready to play because when given the opportunity, I look forward to taking advantage of it.”
The Saints will have to think if keeping Winston is the best for their cap space. If they don’t release the quarterback before June 1st, New Orleans would have to pay him$12.8 million in guaranteed money.
New Orleans received Derek Carr’s visit earlier this month, so they are definitely looking for other quarterback options. If they don’t see a future with Winston, cutting him would be the best for their interests in order avoid paying him that money.