This is the Morning Win. Nate Scott is filling in for Andy Nesbitt this week.
Former Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston said it was an honor to be replaced by Tom Brady earlier this summer, after the legendary Pats quarterback decided to join Tampa Bay, ending Winston’s time as the starting QB there.
Winston is now going to be the understudy for another quarterback legend, but in New Orleans — Winston has announced that he will sign with the Saints, likening the move to getting a “Harvard education” at the QB position.
Who am I to doubt the move? I’ve had countless friends hit a rut at age 26 — Winston’s age — and tap the old reset button by heading to grad school. And they take on debt to do it, whereas one would assume the Saints are going to pay Winston pretty well for his time there.
Still, it is a bit weird that Winston, again just 26 years old, is joining a team that already has Drew Brees and Taysom Hill on the roster. Hill is a more situational player, so if Brees went down with an injury, you’d think that Winston would get some reps in.
But there are other teams around the league who’d presumably be willing to take on Winston in a backup capacity, teams where Winston’s path to playing team would be much clearer.
There’s a danger in the NFL of becoming a forgotten entity. I have no idea if Winston is past it already or just needs another opportunity, but by going to the Saints, he runs the risk of sitting for a year (or two) and not seeing live NFL action.
Here’s best case scenario for Winston: Exactly what just happened with Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater was a starting QB in the league, fell out of favor, signed with the Saints as a backup, was an excellent teammate/cheerleader/tutor/veteran, looked fantastic in the opportunities he got, then signed a nice deal to go start for the Panthers.
If you’re Winston: That’s the model. You’ve got the blueprint. If he follows it to a T, this could be a really smart bet, plus he gets to live in one of the greatest cities on Earth. If that’s going to be his education, perfect. But he has to make sure he doesn’t get too comfortable, because the NFL can forget about people, quickly.
Wednesday’s Big Winner: Michael Jordan
Jordan is always a winner, but with the hoopla around ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary, we’re getting even more old stories about his greatness. A new, amazing one: Roy Williams claims that Jordan ran a 4.38 40-yard-dash in college. I … do not doubt this.
Quick Hits: Alex Smith, Dennis Rodman, Jarrett Stidham
– Alex Smith says he is committed to playing football again, despite the fact that his injured leg, which was infected so badly it risked needing amputation, still doesn’t look good.
– Dennis Rodman’s son says he only learned about the infamous “Vegas vacation” while watching “The Last Dance.”
– Our NFL writer Steven Ruiz looked at the tape of Jarrett Stidham, and he doesn’t like what he sees for the presumptive starting Patriots quarterback.
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