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Jameis Winston will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the Cleveland Browns quarterback would have no issues staying where he is in 2025.
“Of course,” Winston said when asked about staying with the Browns, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “In terms of my family — when I think about my family, I think about moving my kids, my wife having to find new friends. I think anytime where you’re able to solidify a role and a place and play good at that place, you like to be home. However, that’s out of my control. Again, my focus is on, ‘One play at a time’ . . . and just stacking it up day after day after day.”
Beyond the logistical aspects of having to move to a new city after settling down in Cleveland, Winston said he’s come to love the city in his first year with the Browns.
“I’ve truly embraced this city,” Winston said. “I love the hard-nosed [attitude]. I love the beautiful trees, three months out the year. Everywhere I go, I always talk about, when I have my introductory [press conference], I talk about, ‘I’m grateful’. And it’s as simple as that. Man, I’m grateful for the fans challenging me. I’m grateful for the fans lifting me up. I’m grateful for you all challenging me and lifting me up, man. It’s a process that I really take to heart because I feel like all of us are in this together, and that’s just how I approach it.”
Winston, who first started for the Browns in October after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, has performed well under center. He’s thrown for 1,266 passing yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions and has led Cleveland to a 2-2 record across his four starts.
He had 334 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win over the Baltimore Ravens and had 219 passing yards and a rushing touchdown in last week’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though Winston would like to return to Cleveland next season, he might not be guaranteed a starting job.
Watson is under contract through the 2026 season and will earn $92 million fully guaranteed over the next two seasons, which is a high price to pay for a quarterback to sit on the bench. Watson’s pricey contract also might prevent the Browns from giving Winston a contract he feels he deserves.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano also reported Wednesday that there is “a lot of chatter” about Cleveland benching Winston for Dorian Thompson-Robinson “to see whether and how he might fit into their future QB plans.”
Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick in 2023, has appeared three times this season and has completed 11 of his 25 passes for 82 yards and a pair of interceptions.
If the Browns don’t have a spot for Winston in 2025, there will likely be a handful of teams willing to bring the veteran in, either as a starter or a backup. Until then, he’ll look to prove himself further as Cleveland wraps up its season.
The 3-8 Browns have six games left to make a playoff run, though they would need a bit of a miracle. Cleveland would need to win its final six games, but even that might not be enough. The Browns will look to win back-to-back games for the first time this year when they face the Denver Broncos on Monday.
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