Jameis Winston won’t earn much as he backs up Drew Brees and Taysom Hill in New Orleans. His one-year deal with the Saints carries a base value of just $1.1MM, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That sum includes his signing bonus, which is just $148K.
[RELATED: Saints Sign Jameis Winston]
There will be opportunities for Winston to earn more. The deal also includes $3.4MM in total available incentives – $1.76MM tied to playtime, $1.8MM playoff playtime, and $40K if he makes the Pro Bowl (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Even if he stays on the roster and hits every bonus, Winston is still only looking at $4.7MM in earnings. Of course, Winston won’t get the opportunity to earn those bonuses unless Brees and/or Hill miss time.
Winston reportedly chose the Saints over larger offers because he felt it was his best opportunity to learn and grow as a player. Despite his talent, the former No. 1 overall pick could probably use the seasoning. The Bucs saw the best and worst of what Winston has to offer last year. Winston led the league with 5,109 passing yards, but also led the NFL with 30 interceptions. Those errors, of course, erased his 33 touchdown throws.
For what it’s worth, Winston’s old boss Jason Licht believes that he’ll turn things around eventually.
“Jameis was still part of our plan if things went a different route,” said the GM, who now has Tom Brady under center. “We’ve got a lot of respect for him. I thought he did a lot of great things, and anybody in our office or building would say the same thing. He did some spectacular things for us. I would never say that, personally — and I think I speak on behalf of the organization — that he’s a bust. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
wow that’s not very much for a back up…I think Matt Schaub is getting 2 million and he’s much older. But I can’t think of a better spot for Winston to be coached up
Wow, didn’t even know Schaub was still around.
he’s not the back up, he’s 3rd string.
He’s bad. Period 1.1 m is a gift.
Poor eyesight
Average backup QB in the league last year was paid over 4.5mil per year.
Woq….$1.1 mil? Those ints proved to be very costly to him as well as helpful to the other team.
Uhhh didn’t Chase Daniel get a 3/21M deal and hes never thrown a football. Who is advising this dude??? For that little as a backup he should be in Tampa lol. Shocking.
Guess he’ll have to resort to stealing crab legs again.
Made my day
maybe he can rejuvenate his singing career on picnic tables too
Hello!! He’s learning under Payton and Brees. Very smart move.
He’s lucky to get that much….not worth it but hopefully the saints don’t need their third string qb in 2020/1….whenever football is played again.
Seriously? The talent is there. I’d liken it to a top home run hitter who leads the league in strikeouts. Even with the picks, 5K+ passing yards and 33 passing TDs are impressive numbers. If Brees can work with him on his defense reads, he could be primed to take over. It’s hard to see Taysom Hill as their QB of the future.
how on earth did he think this was the best chance for him? there are much more brittle QB1s out there and more money to be given to backups. not even much in incentives too.
Yeah, I heard the Steelers offered more money. With Ben being so injury-prone at this stage of his career, he could’ve taken advantage of the playing time with an above average offensive line to rebuild his stock. Oh well; this is the same dude that steals crab legs and gropes women
He said this is his best opportunity to learn and grow.
Just admit it Licht, he is a bust and should not even have been taken in the first round, nevertheless the 1st pick.
Crazy how the 1st two picks of that 2015 draft (Winston and Mariota) are both backups now. Hey, at least my favorite team the Eagles got their franchise QB the next year at pick 2.
But the backup won the super bowl.
Jalen Hurts So Good
I believe he will.
to be fair Wentz got us there. not to say Foles wouldnt have but, Wentz was absurd before the injury.
Foles wouldnt have
you call him a franchise qb but he hasn’t won a playoff game? huh wentz or Winston…..is there a difference in talent? I’m not sure there is?
Well to start, Wentz didn’t throw 30 picks last year
and didn’t win a playoff game so the difference?
Winning playoff games has no bearing whether or not you’re a good QB.
Jt25 –
Seriously dude?
Nate Peterman is gonna make more this year, unless Winston pulls a Tonya Harding on Drew Brees
Throw him in a crab tank.
LOL! I can see Drew, in the locker room, clutching his knew wailing “WHYYYY????…..WHYYYYYY????”
*clutching his knee….. )@(#)@( auto correct !!
A lot of hate for him. But what back up quarterback ever threw for 30 TDS in a Season as a starter. Yes I know he threw 30 INTS. But 1.2 mil? Smh
Interesting decision. On the one hand, he may grow as a player. But on the other, he won’t be playing this year. Saints seem committed to Hill being the 2nd string QB. So how can he “rebuild value” while not playing? No GM is going to offer him a starters job without playing a year… another commentor mentioned the Steelers, seems like a better situation. Back up Ben at the twighlight of his career, being the 2nd string QB and eventually go in once Ben hurts himself. Play behind a good O Line and a solid core of position players.
Yeah, the “rebuild value” thing jumped out at me, too. That hasn’t, to my memory, happened very often in the NFL for third string QBs.
Exactly what I was thinking. There had to be better opportunities out there
he’ll get paid look at foles. there are a lot of dumb GMs out there to throw away their bosses money!
But Foles was the beneficiary of a LOT of circumstances. Winston would have to be impressive as a starter in the postseason to have even a distant chance of getting paid like Foles, and those odds are long for many reasons.
Learn and grow?? He played for Bruce Arians the QB whisperer, if he didn’t “ grow” under him he isn’t going to sitting behind Brees and Hill. OMG what a MORON
Damn, McCown was making $8m as a back up a couple years ago. This is pennies
Thats absolutely nothing for a great QB insurance policy. Nice move by NO.
Cowboys should of signed him and said goodbye to Dak
Exactly what I was thinking. Get a good backup for if Dak gets hurt, and gives them someone who can at least compete with Dak in practice because we all know Cooper Rush isn’t doing that (and I don’t mean compete for playing time).
Say what you will, but Winston’s agent got him a ticket to the dance. He won’t have to create workout videos like a certain former 49er QB we all know.
Well, money isn’t an issue for him. So he should be fine for a year with his low salary. This is the most mature and intelligent decision he can make for himself. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn from great minds. Hoping for the best for Crab Man.
Good take. As Woody Allen once said “Seventy percent of success in life is showing up”.
Even the Patriots could have afforded that.
Patriots don’t need a quarterback when they got Julian Edelman. He did in 3 years of college what Winston did last year. 4,997 yards 30 touchdowns 31 interceptions.
Falling back to earth!
How will he ever afford those
crab legs!!??
Making the Pro Bowl!
LOL!!!!!
Hmmm – 30 mil – 1.1 mil. The writing is on the wall. You’ll never see the extra incentives Winston! You shoes your colors when you kicked the dog leaving RJS. Now it’s an all out blitz at RJS if you ever get the chance to take the field at RJS against the Bucs. And don’t think Suh is beyond kicking you in the head while your lying on the ground. You should never crap – where you were eating!