The Cleveland Browns were looking to reunite with Jacoby Brissett but the veteran quarterback decided to bring his talents back to Foxborough, signing a one-year deal worth $8 million with the New England Patriots.
Still looking for a quarterback as insurance behind Deshaun Watson, the Browns are said to be looking in the direction of former Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, who last saw action in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints (h/t Boston Globe senior NFL writer Ben Volin).
“Some other QB buzz I’m hearing: Sam Darnold is weighing offers between the Vikings and Broncos, and the Browns are interested in Jameis Winston as a backup.”
While it’s good news for Winston that there is at least one team interested in him, it’s worth noting that he has made his desire known to become a starting quarterback again. That’s unlikely to happen for him if he lands with the Browns, who have Watson firmly on top of the team’s quarterback pecking order. In 2023, Watson started in only six games, as his season was cut short by a season-ending shoulder surgery, opening the door for Joe Flacco to take over under center. Flacco is also another QB the Browns could consider reuniting with.
Winston, selected first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has also been a second fiddle in New Orleans with Derek Carr in front of him. The former Florida Seminoles star played in seven games (zero starts) for the Saints in 2023, passing for just 264 yards and two touchdowns against three interceptions.