NFL Rumors: Jameis Winston, Browns Agree to 1-Year Contract After Saints Stint

Jameis Winston is reportedly moving on from the New Orleans Saints.

Winston is "close" to agreeing to a one-year deal that can be worth up to $8.7 million with the Cleveland Browns, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Jeff Howe of The Athletic confirmed the agreement.

"Winston fielded interest from multiple teams and decided this morning that he's going to Cleveland," Schultz wrote Tuesday.

Winston joined the Saints ahead of the 2020 season as a backup to the now-retired Drew Brees.

The 30-year-old entered the 2021 campaign as the team's starting quarterback in a room that included Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill. He started seven games before suffering a torn ACL and being ruled out for the remainder of the year.

Winston returned fully healthy in 2022, but he suffered a back injury in Week 1 and played through it for the next two games before hitting the shelf. The Saints replaced him with Andy Dalton in Week 4, and the Red Rifle started the remainder of the season despite Winston returning to health.

Winston told reporters ahead of a Week 11 win over the Los Angeles Rams that he was disappointed the franchise benched him for Dalton, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell:

"What's going on right now is what I've got to deal with right now and focus on right now. I'll handle what's going on right now and when that time comes for me to eventually come back on the field, which hopefully it will, I'm going to support Andy, I'm going to support this offense, I'm going to support everyone on this offensive staff the best I possibly can, and that's it. Because, like I said, I wear that shirt that says 'Big team, little me,' even though it hurts my heart. It hurts my soul, the way things have turned out to be this year, but it is what it is."

Ahead of the 2023 season, the Saints signed veteran quarterback Derek Carr following his release from the Las Vegas Raiders, so Winston remained the franchise's backup quarterback.

In 21 games (10 starts) across four seasons, Winston completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,367 yards and 20 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, in addition to rushing for 170 yards and one score.

Prior to joining the Saints, Winston spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him with the first overall pick in the 2015 draft.

The Florida State product put together arguably the best season of his career in 2016 when he completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 4,090 yards and 28 touchdowns against 18 interceptions in 16 games, in addition to rushing for 165 yards and one score.

During the 2019 season, he threw for a career-high 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns in 16 games, but he also tossed 30 interceptions, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season.

As for the Saints, they'll continue to rely on Carr next season. Hill also figures to serve as the backup unless the franchise signs another player.

Cleveland likely sees Winston as a backup to Deshaun Watson, but it saw firsthand how important the backup quarterback spot is last season when Joe Flacco took over following a Watson injury and went 4-1 as a starter to lead the team to the playoffs.