Dan Orlovsky floats idea of Browns starting Jameis Winston after Deshaun Watson's awful outing vs Cowboys
Jameis Winston could be looking at a massive opportunity waiting for him. The Cleveland Browns lost to the Dallas Cowboys 33-17 in Week 1 as starting quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled.
That led to many, including NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky, planting the seeds of Winston possibly taking over as the starting QB in the Browns' minds.
He took to X (formerly, Twitter) to say:
"I’d think long and hard about Jameis"
James Winston is a seasoned QB in his 10th year in the NFL and was signed by the Browns earlier this year. This was necessitated by the fact that Deshaun Watson was returning from shoulder surgery in 2023, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson was still learning the ropes of pro football.
However, after today's game, many analysts and fans alike are wondering if Watson should be benched and Winston should get the starting role in his place.
Even before halftime, Browns fans began booing their own QB. He completed only 53.3% of his passes, threw two interceptions, and ended the game with a QB rating of 51.1. He seemed to struggle to get the ball downfield and failed to connect with his teammates.
Under Watson, they were just able to get one first down in the first 30 minutes of the game.
Jameis Winston has plenty of starter experience
The Browns' hands are tied as they cannot trade or release Deshaun Watson. Cleveland had brought him on board by shelling out $230 million to retain him for 5 years in 2022.
Benching him in favor of Jameis Winston might be the Browns' best option amid Watson's current struggles.
Winston is not short of starter experience. He was the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccanneers and made the Pro Bowl in his rookie year. He started 70 of 72 games he played with the Bucs. In 2019, he recorded 5,109 passing yards, which led the NFL.
Before joining the Browns, he had been with the New Orleans Saints for four years where he mostly served as Derek Carr's backup. However, he still made 10 starts, including seven in the 2021 season, where the Saints went 5-2.