Jameis Winston will have to play and win a lot of games with the Cleveland Browns to earn the $8.7 million value that his contract was initially reported at.
The Browns agreed to terms with Winston on Tuesday, locking him in as their backup quarterback. He’ll join Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the depth chart.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported the full terms of the deal and Cleveland isn’t overpaying for the former No. 1 overall pick.
“Winston’s actual salary with the Browns is a guaranteed $4 million, including a $2.79 million signing bonus and a fully guaranteed $1.21 million base,” Cabot said. “If he starts a bunch of games in place of Deshaun Watson — and wins them — he can hit some of his $4.7 million in incentives and try to max out the contract.”
The Browns were also eyeing Jacoby Brissett for their backup role. Brissett played with Cleveland in 2022. However, Brissett signed a deal with the New England Patriots worth $8 million that is laced with another $4 million in incentives. The Browns value the backup quarterback position but that was out of their price range.
Browns Hoping Jameis Winston Won’t Have to Play Much
If all goes as planned for the Browns, Winston won’t have to see the field much. The team’s success is very much tied to Watson and his $240 million fully guaranteed contract. Watson has played in just 12 games since landing with the Browns. He’s also coming off major shoulder surgery to repair his fractured shoulder socket.
But the Browns are confident that Watson will be able to contribute more this season and feel “good” about where he’s at.
“We feel good about Deshaun,” Browns GM Andrew Berry told The Athletic in February. “I think the biggest thing is just him staying on the field, keeping (him) on the field. Each year, we really do try and do as much self-assessment as possible on every area of the operation. So in good years and bad years, (we) will probably always tinker somewhere to some degree with what we think is best. But in terms of just Deshaun in particular, we’re excited. We just want to make sure he’s healthy.”
Watson has passed for 2217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions since landing with the Browns.
New Browns QB Jameis Winston Wants to be Starter Again
Winston still is hanging on to hope that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL again at some point. But he understands his role with the Browns and is excited to work alongside Watson.
“Yes, 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 of CBS Sports. “Having the opportunity to work with Deshaun (Watson) and help him be the best he can possibly be, is my main mission. Now, if Deshaun has to heal up for whatever reason, and I have to take a few games off of him, I’m going to be ready to do that; but I have to fulfill God’s purpose first before my own heart’s desire. Because ultimately I desire to win some Super Bowls, and this roster that Cleveland got, looks like they can do it.”
Winston 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.
