How long has Jameis Winston been in the NFL?
Before earning a reputation for being the NFL's wildest gunslinger, Jameis Winston was a stellar college quarterback and put together two phenomenal years at Florida State before heading to the league.
During his 2013 season with FSU, Jameis Winston threw for 4,057 yards, 40 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He was the best college football player that year by quite some distance and brought home the following awards:
- 2013 ACC Offensive Player of the Year
- 2013 ACC Player of the Year
- 2013 AP Player of the Year
- 2013 Consensus All-America Team
- 2013 Davey O'Brien Award
- 2013 Heisman Memorial Trophy
- 2013 Manning Award
- 2013 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
He also led FSU to the national championship, capping off one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in college football history.
Winston enjoyed another dominating campaign with FSU in 2014, winning all 13 games that he started. His numbers dipped slightly from the year before, but he still managed to rack up 3,907 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
Winston decided to forego the final two years of his eligibility and declared for the 2015 NFL draft following that season.
How many years has Jameis Winston been in the NFL?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston with the number one overall pick in 2015. Winston justified the Buccaneers' decision by delivering a magnificent rookie season, amassing 4,042 yards and 22 touchdowns. Winston's performance during his rookie season landed him on the 2015 NFL All-Rookie Team and earned him a Pro Bowl selection.
Winston followed up his rookie season with an even better campaign in 2015. He managed more passing yards and touchdowns but also amassed more turnovers, throwing 18 interceptions and fumbling ten times, of which he lost six.
His passing numbers slumped over the next two seasons, but he continued to turn the ball over at a tremendous rate. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Winston threw 25 interceptions and fumbled the ball 22 times, losing 10 in just 22 starts.
After Jameis Winston threw 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 2019, the Buccaneers and Winston parted ways. During the 2020 offseason, the New Orleans Saints signed the former Seminole as the backup for veteran quarterback Drew Brees. Winston was pegged as Brees' long-term replacement.
Entering his seventh season in the NFL, Jameis Winston is now in a quarterback battle with Taysom Hill for the starting job in New Orleans. Both played their hearts out during the preseason, making the decision harder for Saints head coach Sean Payton.
The former Buccaneers quarterback has made a strong case for why he should be named the starter with his performance during preseason. It's now or never for Winston. The Saints are likely to be his last shot at being a starting quarterback in the NFL. If he gets the nod in New Orleans this season, he will have to play exceptionally well to be the team's permanent starting quarterback.