Do the Browns want to meet Jameis Winston’s contract demands? Does Winston want to compete with Deshaun Watson?
The Cleveland Browns head into Monday Night Football with the eyes of the world on them. As fans prepare for three Thanksgiving Day games on Thursday and one on Black Friday, the Browns will close out the holiday weekend with their AFC matchup with the Denver Broncos.
The story of Cleveland’s failures in 2024 surrounds QB Deshaun Watson while QB Jameis Winston has led the team to two big victories over the top teams in the AFC North. In four and a half games since Watson was lost for the season, Winston has thrown for over 1,200 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
Winston’s three picks thrown in Week 10 created pause for many Browns fans who wondered if his Week 9 performance could be a sign of greatness, growth for the former top overall selection.
Since those up-and-down games, Winston has stabilized to the point that many are wondering if he could be Cleveland’s starter for the next couple of seasons. With the current plan, according to a report, for the Browns to have Watson compete for the starting job next season, Winston might be the perfect quarterback to provide that competition.
The problem? Winston signed a one-year deal to come to Cleveland this offseason and is set to enter free agency after what could be a very good season. The Browns might find themselves in competition with a number of teams seeking a starting-level quarterback.
For Winston’s part, it seems like he would like to stick around:
#Browns Jameis Winston on if he would like to return to the Browns next season pic.twitter.com/eIa32vEgj5
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) November 27, 2024
Given Watson’s huge contract and a lot of other big contracts in Cleveland, the salary cap could also be an impediment. The Browns are projected to be over the cap going into the offseason but GM Andrew Berry could quickly create space with a couple of moves but how much space would he need to re-sign Winston?
While contract and cap are different, both are important. Berry could be creative to have a smaller cap hit in the first year of a Winston extension while pushing higher costs to after Watson’s contract expires but at what cost?
Looking at free agent contracts signed by quarterbacks the last couple of years creates some interesting dichotomy:
2024 Free Agent QBs
- Kirk Cousins – 4 years, $180 million
- Gardner Minshew – 2 years, $25 million
- Tyrod Taylor – 2 years, $12 million
- Sam Darnold – 1 year, $10 million
- Jacoby Brissett – 1 year, $8 million
2023 Free Agent QBs
- Derek Carr – 4 years, $150 million
- Jimmy Garoppolo – 3 years, $72 million
- Taylor Heinicke – 2 years, $14 million
- Jarrett Stidham – 2 years, $10 million
- Andy Dalton – 2 years, $10 million
Looking at the top-paid quarterbacks in the league, nine are making more than $50 million a year. Six others, including Watson, are at $40 million or more annually. Winston is unlikely to join that stratosphere but the tier below that is, perhaps, where an extension or free-agent deal might land for the former top pick.
Starting with Aaron Rodgers and Carr at $37.5 million a year, Baker Mayfield making $33.3 million and Geno Smith at $25 million we find a group of quarterbacks that Winston’s agency might compare him to. After that group is Minshew, a less accomplished quarterback making half of Smith’s deal.
Would the Browns be willing and able to pay Winston $25 million a year, with bigger cap hits in future seasons, with Watson’s deal still on the books? Will Winston goes to the highest bidder if a team, say the Las Vegas Raiders or New York Giants, comes calling with a deal closer to $35 million?
The remainder of the 2024 NFL season might be pointless for the Browns but Winston’s performance could have a huge impact on whether or not an extension is possible and at what price.
Do you think the Browns should extend Jameis Winston? If so, what do you think his average yearly salary should be? Share your thoughts in the comment section below