New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston calls signals during an NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
When New Orleans signed quarterback Derek Carr on Monday, it raised the question of what would happen to Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, with the assumption the NFL team would release the former Hueytown High School football and baseball star.
Winston is scheduled to count $15.6 million against the New Orleans salary cap in the 2023 season. That’s too much for an NFL team to devote to a backup quarterback.
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The Saints could release Winston without owing him any money. But he still would count $11.2 million – or 5 percent — of New Orleans’ salary cap for the 2023 season without being on the roster.
The Saints could reduce the amount of dead money for Winston on their 2023 salary cap to $2.8 million by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation. But Winston’s contract calls for $5.8 million of his 2023 salary to become guaranteed if he’s still on the New Orleans roster on March 17. And his contract still would count $8.4 million against the Saints’ 2024 salary cap.
On Friday, ESPN reported the Saints had another option with Winston apart from releasing him. The report said New Orleans had offered Winston a spot on the team on a restructured contract, and if he doesn’t accept it, he’ll be released on Wednesday, when the NFL’s 2023 business year begins and free agency starts.
Winston has opened the past two seasons at quarterback in New Orleans’ post-Drew Brees era.
Before a knee injury caused him to the miss the final 10 games in 2021, Winston had led the Saints to a 5-2 record and thrown 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions. New Orleans went 4-6 after Winston went down, and three other quarterbacks had 15 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions for the Saints in 2021.
After striking out in its pursuit of quarterback Deshaun Watson last offseason, New Orleans signed Winston to a two-year, $28 million contract.
In 2022, Winston started the first three games, but he battled through back and ankle injuries to play in the final two. Finally forced out of the lineup, Winston missed three games before returning to uniform. But for the final 11 games of the 2022 campaign, Winston served as Andy Dalton’s backup without playing.
Dalton was playing on a one-year contract and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
New Orleans signed Carr after the Las Vegas Raiders released him on Feb. 14.
Last offseason, the Raiders signed Carr to a three-year, $121.5 million contract extension. But Las Vegas cut the quarterback the day before his $32.9 million salary for the 2023 season and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary of $41.9 million became guaranteed.
Carr had been the Raiders’ quarterback since joining the team in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
At that time, Saints coach Dennis Allen was the Raiders coach, and he put Carr right into the lineup, although four games into Carr’s rookie season, Allen was fired.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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