Saints and Jameis Winston reach a two-year contract.

Quarterback Jameis Winston will re-sign with the New Orleans Saints, the organization announced on Monday. The agreement will be for one year. The NFL Network reports that the agreement will be worth at least $5.5 million, while ESPN reports that it may be worth up to $12 million, depending on incentives.

The action was taken a day after Drew Brees, the starting quarterback for the Saints for 15 years, announced his retirement.

The 27-year-old Winston signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with New Orleans last spring. In 2020, he completed 11 passes for a total of 56 yards, including a trick-play score in the postseason.
In the four games that Brees did not play in 2020, Taysom Hill started at quarterback with Winston as his backup.
Tampa Bay selected Winston first overall in the 2015 draft. During his five seasons with the Buccaneers, Winston started 70 games and threw for 19,737 yards, 121 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions.
Mailbag: Will Sean Payton be able to ignite Jameis Winston’s career in the same manner as he did for Drew Brees?

With Hill gone, the Saints would have had only one quarterback on the field. The moment the offseason began, the team’s brass decided to re-sign Winston. Money was never going to be an issue because the one-year contract is rumored to be worth up to $12 million. It would have been unfeasible to deal for Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson.
What the Saints should make of this
Holder: Winston has one more season with the Saints to work out his differences, but he ought to be the front-runner for the starting job. Do I see the Saints and Hill engaging in open competition? Indeed. However, I’d be shocked if Winston was defeated by Hill. Winston, the starting quarterback, still has a lot to show, as his 30-interception 2019 season is still too recent in memory.

Winston is by no means certain to succeed in the long run. Over his first five years in the NFL, Winston has been monitored by the Saints twice a year. We’ll see whether Winston can stop making mistakes and collaborate with elite players like Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara in addition to a potent offensive line.