Jameis Winston has made no secret he has a desire to stay in New Orleans, but he's reportedly looking for a crack at being a starting quarterback again.
Katherine Terrell of ESPN reported Winston could be headed for a "mutual parting of ways" with Winston this offseason. His contract was originally slated to void after this season, but the Saints reworked it so he remains under contract.
The Saints would take on a $10.7 million dead cap hit by releasing Winston, which seems unlikely given the team's precarious cap situation. New Orleans is projected to be $83.7 million over the cap heading into free agency.
Winston has spent the last four seasons with the Saints, starting 10 games but primarily serving as a backup. He's thrown for 2,367 yards and 20 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while appearing in 21 games overall.
"I would love to stay in NOLA forever," Winston recently told WDSU. "But whatever the Lord has planned for me, I'm going to go and do my best, wherever that is. Hopefully it's here, because I love this, I love the energy, and I love this city,"
Fletcher Mackel @FletcherWDSUMargaret Orr + Jameis Winston = NOLA TV GOLD!<a href="">@MargaretOrr</a> <a href="">@Jaboowins</a> <a href="">@wdsu</a> <a href="">@ZuluSAP1909</a> <a href="">#MardiGras2024</a> <a href="">
Derek Carr's $30 million base salary for the 2024 season is already guaranteed, and he'll see an additional $10 million in guarantees if he's on the roster March 15. The Saints are in no position to release him and will almost certainly restructure his deal to create $23 million in cap space.
In other words: Carr is entrenched as the starter, so Winston will need to leave to get his chance.
Winston just turned 30 in January and has a 34-46 record overall as a starter. He's spent his career being one of the NFL's most aggressive quarterbacks, which has resulted in a mix of spectacular plays and confounding turnovers.
