Saints: Sean Payton is a big fan of Jameis Winston’s work ethic
Making under $2 million this season, the Saints acquired the best backup quarterback in the NFL, and his name is Jameis Winston.
The New Orleans Saints brought in a backup quarterback to replace Teddy Bridgewater.
It just so happens that he’s the 2019 NFL season’s passing leader, Jameis Winston. Winston eclipsed 5,000 yards in 2019, playing for the Saints’ divisional foe, the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.
An FSU alum, Winston’s career has been ruined by turnovers. It’s just tough to through the most interceptions in the NFL and secure that long-term deal the following offseason, although it does seem that he had a few high-profile deals on the table.
However, that’s why Winston found his way to the Big Easy.
He knows that a year or two under Sean Payton can transform him into the elite professional that could be worth eight-figures. He has so much untapped potential that Payton will likely be able to pull from him.
That said, from the sounds of it, the two are getting along just fine as the Saints head coach praised Winston for his offseason work.
“Look, he’s been in what we’re doing meeting-wise, walkthrough-wise, lifting. We’re out on the field during the walkthroughs. So just like everyone else, he’s in good shape, he’s lost weight, he’s lean. He’s a guy that is not afraid to work. He’s doing well, he’s fit in well,” Payton said of Winston in a conference call according to Saints Wire’s John Singler.
This isn’t the first time that Winston has been praised. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has heaped compliments at the former collegiate standout. Carmichael said that Winston is “obviously a very smart player.”
The Saints believe in Winston.
Whether or not they believe in him over Taysom Hill as the future of the franchise is still up in the air. For now, both options should be considered, but from what we’ve seen and heard about Winston, he may quickly start to pull ahead.
With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in 2019, Winston threw for 5,109 yards. However, he was asked to throw over 600 times. With that amount, of course, you may have 30 interceptions. There’s an issue there, but there’s no denying his usage was off the charts last season.
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The Saints can morph him into a franchise quarterback, and with the right work ethic that he clearly has, Winston could be one of the best in the business in the near future.