NFL World Reacts To The Jameis Winston, Saints QB News
On Friday morning, the New Orleans Saints finally decided who the team’s starting quarterback will be when the 2021 season kicks off.
Former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill have been battling in camp for the past few weeks. After a tough competition that saw both perform well – and not so well at times – the decision is in.
According to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Saints have named Jameis Winston the team’s starting quarterback. The decision came after a strong performance from Winston during the team’s second preseason game on Monday night.
After battling back and forth for weeks, Winston’s 9-of-10 for 123-yard and two touchdown performance made the decision for Sean Payton.
Here’s how some fans reacted to the news.
And there you have it. https://t.co/Ejpv0XX3KW
— Andy Holloway (@andyholloway) August 27, 2021
Fans couldn’t help but start cracking jokes about the Saints choosing the “actual quarterback” in the quarterback battle rather than the “tight end.”
Check it out.
Picking the QB over the TE in a quarterback battle is a bold move by the Saints. https://t.co/ZJ9KRT726Y
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) August 27, 2021
Winston outshined Taysom Hill over the team’s first two preseason games and was rewarded with the starting quarterback job as a result.
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Jameis Winston, 27, will be the New Orleans Saints‘ starting quarterback in Week 1 when they host the Green Bay Packers, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
It will be Winston’s first start since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to move on from him following the 2019 season. And it will be a chance for the former Heisman Trophy winner and 2015 No. 1 overall draft choice to revive his career after he was derailed by turnovers in Tampa.
Meanwhile, the Saints will be trying to prove they can remain a playoff contender in the wake of Drew Brees’ retirement. This will be the first time in 16 years that someone other than Brees has entered the season as New Orleans’ starting QB.
“I would love to carry that torch from him,” Winston said earlier this year when he got emotional while talking about how much it meant to him to spend last season as Brees’ backup. “I would love to be able to provide the excitement and joy and resilience that he provided for this city.”
Winston earned this opportunity by outperforming Taysom Hill in the preseason. The two of them split first-team reps equally throughout training camp and the first two exhibition games. But Winston made the decision easier with a dynamic performance in Monday night’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars — completing 9 of 10 passes for 123 yards and two deep touchdowns to receiver Marquez Callaway.
Winston went 28-42 as a starter with the Buccaneers from 2015-2019, completing 61.3% of his passes with 19,737 yards, 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. He displayed some dynamic highs and lows during that tenure — especially in 2019 in his first year under coach Bruce Arians. That year, Winston led the league with 5,109 passing yards but also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions in the same season.
Winston has made decision-making his priority over the past two years. He said that is the No. 1 thing he learned from Brees — focusing on the right decision on every snap rather than trying to force a big result.
So far, that approach seems to be paying dividends. Interceptions have been rare for Winston over the past four weeks in practice, though he did have one that bounced off the hands of receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a slightly underthrown deep ball in the preseason opener.
Winston initially signed a one-year deal with the Saints in 2020 that was worth just $1.1 million plus incentives — specifically because he wanted to learn under Payton, Brees and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.
He signed another one-year deal this year that was worth $5.5 million guaranteed — plus another $7 million in possible incentives that he now has a better chance of reaching.
Winston’s start in New Orleans’ second preseason game was his first start ever with the Saints since there was no preseason last year. Afterward, he acknowledged how special the opportunity was for him.
“I was just thankful. These opportunities don’t come too often. A whole year of not starting a football game,” Winston said. “That’s what I said in our team prayer, like, ‘Lord, thank you for this opportunity.’ … He’s the one that did it, the lord did it for me. And I missed it man. I missed going out there and leading the pack. That’s fun, that’s fun stuff.”
Jameis Winston named New Orleans Saints starting quarterback per reports
After an outstanding preseason performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was the only way to go.
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Jameis Winston’s preseason game two performance wasn’t just impressive because of his 9/10, 123 yard, and two touchdown stat line. He was poised, in command, and made the right decisions. He was a leader. And while the Jacksonville Jaguars are certainly not the paradigm of success in the NFL, there were elements of Winston’s game observable regardless of opponent that showed that he was ready to step into a premier opportunity.
As of this morning, several NFL insides have been sharing that this performance, in addition to training camp and beyond, have led to exactly that. Jameis Winston is expected to be the New Orleans Saints’ starting quarterback in 2021.
This seemed like the most likely outcome following Monday night’s Saints and Jaguars match up. Some reports even going so far as to describe head coach Sean Payton’s conversation with Taysom Hill, who was competing for the same position, when the decision was made apparent within the facility.
When the New Orleans Saints take the field on Sunday, September 13th against the Green Bay Packers, the expectation is that #2 will lead them.
Winston is the right decision. The fact that Hill was a part of competing for the starting role though is indicative of the INSANITY THAT EXISTS IN THE NFL. However, Winston gives the Saints, AND 100% OF THE NFL TEAMS IN 2021 the best opportunity to do what it is they want to do: compete and win.
There will be ups and downs. Not every game will include a 90% completion percentage or a 157.7 passer rating like fans got to take in on Monday. But the playbook in New Orleans just opened up vastly with Winston under center, and Hill back in his offensive weapon role. The latter being an important detail with the number of skill position players expected to be unavailable at the top of the season for various reasons.
Expect a heavy dose of two skill guys early, though. Winston’s connection with WR Marquez Callaway looks ready for the season and Alvin Kamara should be rested and ready to go as he looks to have been protected throughout the preseason.
Jameis Winston is the heir to future Hall of Famer Drew Brees in the Big Easy.
Jameis Winston has up to $7M available via incentives + HIS 5.5MIL SALARY, WHICH IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY this season, tied to a variety of factors including playing time, passing statistics and team success. His path to reach those various incentives became clearer today.
