MUST LISTEN: Sean Payton on Jameis Winston 🎙
He addresses lazy media narratives, Jameis as a QB & leader. Extremely optimistic on Jameis’ future in the @NFL
FULL INTERVIEW ON @1057TheFan https://t.co/XVQrE5b6rI#NFL #LetsWinTogether pic.twitter.com/mOgH1DOTFJ
— Just Win Management Group (@JustWinMGMT) March 10, 2022
While talks are ramping up about the future of the New Orleans Saints quartbacks room, let’s not forget an option that has been on the team for the past two years. In a recent interview with Jason LaConfora and Ken Weinman on Inside Access, Sean Payton opened up about what he thinks of Jameis Winston’s career outlook from here on out.
“I definitely think he’s got a second act in him. He’s a young player. He came into this league with every accolade you could have. He’s a tremendous teammate and worker. The two years we were together were fantastic,” Sean said about Winston.
This matches everything we have heard come out of the locker room about Winston. Everyone has raved about how good of a leader he is. From the few minutes I was with him during Demario Davis’ Devoted Dreamers event earlier this year, it was easy to see how genuinely affable he comes off as. He came to the event in a medical boot not long after surgery, still ready to support his teammates.
Payton continued, taking aim at critics writing Winston off after his stint in Tampa Bay: “There became this lazy, easy narrative about his interceptions. I totally understand it, but that was a part of a team. He was a part of that, there are a lot of dirty hands with a statistic like that.”
We saw Winston completely change his style of play under Payton and immediately cut way down on his turnovers. He looked like a new quarterback, and one that could have a lot of gas left in him in this league. Winston’s mobility was something that impressed Payton during their time together in 2021.
“The thing that he does that really is sometimes hard to gauge until you watch him is, he’s strong in the pocket. He’ll climb out of something, he’ll come out of a sack and find a throw off schedule maybe. Occasionally he would keep it and he’d have these long steps where he would gain 14 yards. There would be, in every game, two or three of these extended plays.”
Winston is still an option for the New Orleans Saints in their search for a quarterback for the 2022 season. However, they will not be alone in their interest as Jameis Winston is considered one of the top options available with quite a few teams in the mix.
