New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston has had a roller-coaster career to this point. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Florida State by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but didn’t live up to expectations.
When the opportunity arose to acquire Tom Brady, the Buccaneers opted to move on from Jameis Winston. That led him to New Orleans, where he was the backup for Drew Brees in 2020. When Brees announced his retirement, it was time for the former Seminole to step back into a starting role.
Jameis Winston was the starter for the Saints in 2021 and things were going well at the start. But, a season-ending injury in the seventh game of the season cut things short. He was the starter in 2022 again, but injuries once again hampered him, as he was replaced by Andy Dalton and never got the job back.
Heading into 2023, Jameis Winston is set to be the backup for the Saints again, this time behind Derek Carr. He re-signed in New Orleans, but there are some teams around the league who could certainly use him. Here are three teams who should make a trade for the former No. 1 overall pick.
The Green Bay Packers could certainly use some experience on their quarterback depth chart. Jordan Love, who has 83 career pass attempts, is locked in as the starter. But, the options behind him have even less experience than that.
Right now, rookie fifth-round pick Sean Clifford looks like he will be QB2 in Green Bay this season. That is something the team could look to change before the regular season. If something were to happen to Love, Jameis Winston could at least keep things afloat offensively; it is hard to imagine Clifford instills the same confidence.
The Washington Commanders took a major risk this offseason by not upgrading the quarterback position. Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, could be the team’s starter this offseason. Right now, the quarterback is the only area of concern on the roster.
Backing Howell up is free agent signing Jacoby Brissett. He played well with the Cleveland Browns last season, but Jameis Winston would offer the team a little more upside given his arm talent. Still not 30 years old, the Florida State product could be a longer-term answer for the team as well.
Washington has a ton of weapons to take advantage of. Jameis Winston would help elevate the offense beyond what their current options could and would benefit from the coaching of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Another team that is taking a chance on a 2022 NFL Draft pick under center is the Falcons. They have committed to Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback in 2023 after a four-game sample at the end of his rookie season.
Ridder played decently in his four starts last season, not turning the ball over. But, there are questions as to how much he can elevate the offense as a whole. Given the young weapons on the roster in tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson, good quarterback play could bring it all together.
