Jameis Winston saw how Teddy Bridgewater benefited from a year or two on the New Orleans Saints depth chart, and decided he wanted that experience for himself. The former first overall draft pick passed up “more lucrative offers” from other teams as a free agent this offseason, which was reported by both Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The opportunity to learn from Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi was something Winston couldn’t attach a dollar value to. He’s a starting-quality quarterback despite the 30 interceptions he threw last year, which is just a much a product of his own poor decision-making as the offense he was running.
Bruce Arians wants his passers to rip it deep down the field as often as possible, and that’s reflected in Winston’s career-high pass attempts (626), passing yards (5,109), and sacks (47). The Saints will take a smarter approach when and if he ever takes the field in New Orleans.
But let’s not lose sight of what’s important. There were a few starting quarterback jobs open this offseason, and many teams would have liked to add an experienced backup like Winston behind rookies and youngsters like Justin Herbert, Mitchell Trubisky, or Gardner Minshew. Instead, he passed on those short-term paychecks for a move that might turn his career around.
And that savvy thinking might be the first sign that Winston’s maturing and keeping his head right. It’s a fascinating development to say the least.
