What's Next for Jameis Winston?

What's next for the Jameis Winston after a season of murkiness in New Orleans?

Author:
Kyle T. Mosley
Publish date:
Jan 10, 2023 9:40 AM EST

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

If this was "Corporate America," let's state the obvious. Jameis Winston was either "demoted, fired, or forced out" as starting quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, and we never understood why — nor was clarity provided.

Normally, if an employee loses the top position in a corporation, it would be from poor execution and subpar results — not because the person went on sick leave.

In this case, the replacement delivered unsatisfactory results, and uneven performances yet was allowed to keep the job for 14 weeks. It's not an indictment on Andy Dalton, but go figure.

With four cracked vertebrae, a 1-2 record, 14 weeks of ambiguity, and conflicting messages, Jameis Winston finds himself in an awkward position at 5800 Airline Drive.

Once management learned of Winston's health problems, human resources would have counseled leadership for the employee to take leave or a sabbatical to heal. Instead, he was allowed to face the Buccaneers and Panthers, lost both games, then relegated to sit on the bench for the rest of the season.

Jameis Winston sitting the bench — Dec 18, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton (14) and quarterback Jameis Winston (2) and tight end Taysom Hill (7) on the bench against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

WAS HE READY TO RETURN?

In an interview with Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football, Jameis said management told him he would not lose his job. After Winston's comments, no one questioned Dennis Allen and forced the issue, and the mystery continued.

Credit Winston for not becoming a locker-room cancer. Where's my proof? One strong indicator is how his teammates voted him the Ed Block Courage Award recipient for 2022. It's an award bestowed on a player who is a "role model of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage."

So, why would someone whose character and leadership have been so well admired by his team fail to receive consideration to re-establish his role as the starter?

Remember, Andy Dalton lost seven games before New Orleans' three-game win streak toward the end of the season. Still, the postgame and Monday press conference message was familiar: "Andy played well." Dalton is not the villain, and neither is Allen.

However, why was Winston left in the cold and wasting his talent after he told Triplett he was healthy enough to play again?

Our desire to quench our thirst for these unanswered points may be fruitless in the end — especially for Jameis Winston. Today, it's about next season for New Orleans and how to overcome a season with key injuries, underachievement, and missed goals.

WHAT'S NEXT?

What's next for the polarizing quarterback? Is he in the vision and football plans for New Orleans? Doubtful. Winston remains under contract until the 2023-24 season.

I can envision three scenarios.

Trade Winston.
Rework his contract into a bonus for a buyout and release, to become a free agent.
Return Jameis and allow him to compete for the starting role.

Under Mickey Loomis, Jameis may find his return more plausible. Andy Dalton, 35, will become a free agent and appeared interested in returning to New Orleans from his comments during the postgame press conference on Sunday. Albeit, it's doubtful the two will co-exist with the same coaching regime making decisions.

OPINIONS ON WINSTON'S FUTURE

The whole situation is murky as the Mississippi River or Lake Pontchartrain during a hurricane and tropical storm approaching the city. Who wants to dive into this mess? I enlisted the help of Saints News Network's John Hendrix and Bob Rose, as well as Saints fans for their opinions on Winston's future.

John Hendrix

Although he's under contract, the odds of Jameis Winston being on the Saints roster seems slim to none going into next season. Winston is a competitor, and the relationship with the team seems to be fractured after what transpired this season. New Orleans could approach Winston to restructure his deal similar to what they did with Michael Thomas to eventually grant his release as a post-June 1 cut or simply try to trade him. Of course, they could just outright release him. Winston has plenty to prove, and there's teams that need a QB that will want to give him a look.

Bob Rose

I don't feel that Jameis Winston ever got a fair shot in New Orleans, but Dennis Allen's actions made it clear that he felt more comfortable with Andy Dalton. Winston's under contract for next year, but the deal was structured that it would be a minimal cap hit for New Orleans. Assuming Dennis Allen is back as coach, I believe that the Saints release Winston this offseason and "go back to the drawing board" at quarterback.

Saints Fans

I am still determining Jameis Winston's plight as a franchise's starting quarterback in today's NFL. At the beginning of 2022, no one gave Andy Dalton and Geno Smith consideration to become starters, but they were. Stranger things keep happening in the NFL and on Airline Drive.

What's next for Jameis Winston?

We shall see.