The Cleveland Browns are turning to a former No. 1 overall pick to help turn their season around. The Browns will start Jameis Winston at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday Winston is filling in Deshaun Watson, who will miss the remainder of the season after he injured his Achilles during last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Winston, a 10-year veteran who is in his first season with the Browns, entered last week's game after both Watson and fellow backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson sustained injuries. He threw a late touchdown pass to tight end David Njoku in Cleveland's eventual 21-14 loss.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston's career to this point has been a mixed bag of results. He was named to the Pro Bowl during a rookie season that saw him throw for over 4,000 yards as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A year later, he helped the Buccaneers post a winning record for the first time in six years.
The 2019 season was a microcosm of Winston's career. While Winston led the NFL with 5,109 yards in addition to throwing 33 touchdowns, he also led the NFL with a whopping 30 interceptions thrown. His penchant for turnovers compelled then-Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians to aggressively look for his replacement, who ultimately turned out to be Tom Brady.
Winston resurfaced in New Orleans, where in 2021 he went 5-2 as the team's temporary starter. He threw 14 touchdowns that season versus just three interceptions while excelling in Sean Payton's offense.
While he never became a long-term franchise quarterback, Winston has proven to be a solid NFL quarterback who has experience when it comes to helping teams out in a pinch. His current situation, however, may prove to be Winston's biggest challenge yet.
At 1-6, the Browns' playoff hopes have all but expired. Making matters more bleak is the fact that the team recently traded No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper. On Sunday, Winston and his teammates will face a Ravens defense that is 32nd against the pass but tops in the league against the run.
