Jameis Winston signed a two-year deal to stay in New Orleans final offseason, however he might not be round for the ultimate 12 months of the deal.
“We have to discover one,” Saints vice president and assistant GM Jeff Ireland stated just lately when requested in regards to the staff’s plan at QB, by way of Professional Soccer Speak.
“It needs to be the best man… Gotta have the best traits, gotta have the best intelligence. Within the historical past of the sport, typically you need to take one early,” Eire continued.
Eire’s assertion that the staff wants to seek out somebody with “the best intelligence” seems like a shot at Winston and the perpetuation of a stereotype about Black QBs.
Winston began the primary three video games of the season, struggling a number of fractures in his decrease again in Week 1 that severely hampered him the subsequent two video games. In Week 4, head coach Dennis Allen began journeyman Andy Dalton.
Even with Winston wholesome and the offense sputtering, Allen refused to return to the staff’s opening-day starter. As an alternative, Dalton began the remainder of the season.
The outcomes have been as mediocre as one would count on a staff led by Dalton this late in his profession. The bottom level got here in a Week 18 loss to Carolina when the protection solely allowed 32 passing yards.
Winston is 6-4 in two seasons as a starter in New Orleans. He has accomplished 168 of 276 (60.9 p.c) passes for for two,028 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
In 2021, he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in opposition to Tampa Bay. He confirmed sufficient promise throughout his first six video games as a starter that the staff re-signed him to a two-year, $28 million deal through the 2022 offseason.
The Saints would save $12.8 million by designating him as a post-June 1 reduce.
It is a disgrace that issues have not labored out for Winston in New Orleans. He embraced the town, however accidents and an absence of perception from his head coach reduce his time as a starter brief.
Common supervisor Mickey Loomis believes the staff is not far-off from competition, however the Saints will solely go so far as their subsequent QB will take them.
New Orleans could have the property now to seize a brand new quarterback after buying a first-round decide from Denver for former Saints HC Sean Payton.
For no matter purpose, New Orleans’ beginning QB would not look like Winston. He was by no means given a lot of a chance anyway.
