New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston expressed his lingering desire to be a starting Super Bowl-winning quarterback in an article from Sports Illustrated.
“However, my goal is to be, and my desire is to be, a Super Bowl-winning starting quarterback in this league. Right now, that doesn’t look like a very clear picture with the New Orleans Saints.”
Winston hasn’t been a full-time starter since his 2019 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for over 5,100 yards and had 33 touchdowns with 30 interceptions. The former No. 1 overall pick started for the Saints under head coach Sean Payton until he tore his ACL in 2021.
Jameis Winston proved to be a serviceable backup for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints QB Jaimes Winston saw significant success as a starter under Sean Payton in 2021. He started 5-2 and posted an uncharacteristic 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Winston was known for turning the ball over at a high rate due to his 30-interception season with the Buccaneers just two years prior.
Through those seven games, Winston posted the highest passer rating of his career at 102.8. He also had the highest quarterback rating of his career with a 69.8.
Winston’s most notable contribution in 2023 was when he defied his head coach and handed the ball off to running back Jamal Williams for his first touchdown of the year. The New Orleans Saints had the game won and the call was for a kneel. Many called for Winston to be cut due to the outright defiance of head coach Dennis Allen’s orders.
Is Arthur Smith in the right or wrong for being mad at the Saints for scoring here on a fake kneel?
— BA Sports Podcast (@BASportsPodcast) January 7, 2024
Shannon Sharpe would cut soon-to-be free agent Jameis Winston over late TD pic.twitter.com/eJXK9EfZ2u
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 8, 2024
Can Jameis Winston win a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints as a starter?
Aside from the fact that winning a Super Bowl with the current salary cap situation of the New Orleans Saints is incredibly difficult, Jameis Winston is not the starting quarterback.
The New Orleans Saints signed starting quarterback Derek Carr to a four-year $150 million contract before last season, and have now restructured the contract to save $23 million. If the Saints decided to release Carr before 2025 and go with Winston, they would suffer a $50 million dead cap hit, according to Spotrac.
The #Saints put a huge dent in their cap overage by converting $28.79M of Derek Carr’s base salary into signing bonus.
The move freed up $23.02M of space in 2024, but it raised his 2025 dead cap hit up to $50.13M when including a $10M bonus that guarantees in 3 weeks.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 23, 2024
The Saints also have another “quarterback” on the roster that carries a $16 million cap hit in gadget player Taysom Hill. With the amount of salary tied up in QBs, surrounding them with Super Bowl-winning talent becomes extremely difficult.
Despite his understanding that winning a Super Bowl as a starting QB for the New Orleans Saints would be difficult, Jameis Winston expressed his love for the city in the same Sports Illustrated article.
“Well, what next with me is wherever God, and whatever he has in his will for me. I’m going to do my best to dominate the opportunity,” Jameis told Saints News Network. “It’s such a love for the city. I just admire the individuals. And I admire the culture and the integrity that this city possesses.”
His short stint as a starter under Sean Payton would suggest that he could lead a team to a deep playoff run if he was surrounded by the right talent. The ACL tear since then might have a significant effect on his ability, but before that, he could move the ball down the field as well as any QB in the NFL.
If Winston continues to mature as a QB and learns to take better care of the football, he could easily turn into an extremely productive NFL QB. Combined with his ability to lead a team, Winston’s ability to be the signal caller for a winning team should not be overlooked.
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