Jameis Winston doesn’t know if his number will be called with the Cleveland Browns next season. But if it is, he’ll be ready.
The Browns signed Winston this offseason to backup Deshaun Watson. Winston has been hard at work preparing for the season and shared some insight on social media.
“Gotta stay prepared so you don’t have to get prepared,” Winston wrote on Instagram with a series of photos.
The post drew quite a reaction, including from fellow Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
“Talk to Em 5!” Thompson-Robinson commented.
If all goes as planned for the Browns, Winston won’t see the field next season. The Browns have invested heavily in Watson and want him on the field for a full season. Watson has played in just 12 games over two seasons in Cleveland due to a lengthy suspension in 2022 and injuries.
But it’s always good to be prepared, and the Browns learned that last season. Cleveland started five different quarterbacks with Watson banged up, but the Browns still finished with an 11-6 record and made the postseason. The hope is that a healthy and locked-in Watson can take them to the next level.
“I don’t think it’s uncommon for some transition or acclimation — that has to be in the realm of possibility,” Brown GM Andrew Berry told the Pat McAfee Show in May, referencing Watson’s return from injury. “But we feel good about Deshaun, like the trajectory we have seen, and do think he will have a big year.”
Jameis Winston Embracing Backup Role With Browns
Winston signed with the Browns in free agency with the understanding that he’d be there to support Watson as he recovers from shoulder surgery. His leadership has made a very positive impression so far.
“Every day, he comes in, very respectful. He wants to lead and learn from everybody,” Watson said of Winston on his “QB Unplugged” show in June. “He wants to be able to serve and that’s the key word for Jameis. We have personal talks and he’s very secure with himself. He knows who he is.”
Winston has used similar terminology when discussing what he wants to bring to the table in Cleveland.
“A big reason that I wanted to come here because the opportunity was here for me to serve and to give to my teammates,” Winston said during OTAs. “And [Watson] being one of the best quarterbacks in this league, being a quarterback that I have had to see him grow as a number one draft pick and just see his ascension as a player. I have familiarity with that, so it’s an honor to serve him.”
Jameis Winston Still Looking for Starting Opportunity
Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, has passed for 22,104 yards, 141 touchdowns and 99 interceptions in his career. He has a 34-46 record as a starter and made the Pro Bowl in 2015 as a rookie.
He understands his role with the Browns but still has aspirations to start for a team in the future.
“I still envision myself as a starter. However, the Lord has also called me to lead by impacting and increasing the men who are around me,” Winston told Josina Anderson in March after signing with the Browns. “Having the opportunity to work with Deshaun (Watson) and help him be the best he can possibly be, is my main mission.”
Cleveland opted for Winston over Joe Flacco, who had a 4-1 record with the Browns during the final stretch of the regular season. The 39-year-old Flacco landed with the Indianapolis Colts.
