Jameis Winston DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have been in talks with Cleveland Browns impending free-agent quarterback Jameis Winston for potential backup roles, a league source told Josina Anderson. Another team to watch could be the New York Giants, depending on how their talks with other signal-callers go. The 31-year-old former first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015 out of Florida State played in 12 games (seven starts) for the Browns after Deshaun Watson went down with a torn Achilles last year. He initially gave the Browns offense a spark but ended up committing 14 turnovers in 12 games and was eventually benched in a lost season. Even with Watson unlikely to play in 2025, Winston isn't expected to return to Cleveland. The turnover-prone gunslinger would back up Justin Herbert in L.A. and Brock Purdy in San Francisco.

During Super Bowl LIX Opening Night on Monday, Cleveland Browns impending free-agent quarterback Jameis Winston said he'd be willing to play for the New York Giants. "Would I really sign with the Giants? Absolutely!" Winston said. "I want to keep playing and do what I do best. I think we have a young woah! They have a young roster. But they have a young roster that's ready to win. They're ready to bounce back. I know they're hungry over there." The G-Men went 3-14 in 2024 and don't currently have a QB on their roster. They could take a signal-caller with the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, but Winston could represent the perfect bridge QB next season. The 31-year-old Winston initially provided a spark to the Browns' offense last year when Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear, and he eventually finished with 2,121 passing yards, 13 TDs and 12 interceptions before being benched.

According to Kelsey Russo of the Browns, quarterback Jameis Winston (shoulder) is inactive for Saturday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. He will operate as the No.3, emergency quarterback. Winston came into this game logging three limited practice sessions and carrying a questionable tag. Winston has not been on the field since their Week 15 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Over his past seven games, Winston posted a 12:12 TD:INT ratio while averaging 291.1 passing yards per game. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Bailey Zappe to get the starting nod but No.2 option Dorian Thompson-Robinson should be in line to see some opportunities. Both quarterbacks should be faded in all fantasy competitions.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (shoulder) received a questionable tag for the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. The team is already expected to start Bailey Zappe, their fourth starting quarterback of the season. Winston led the Browns to two of their three wins this season including one over the Ravens in Week 8. If he's able to suit up, he'll likely be relegated to emergency QB while Dorian Thompson-Robinson would play the backup role.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he's going to work through the team's quarterback situation this week as they head into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. There's a chance that both Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe could play this Saturday. Veteran Jameis Winston (shoulder) is likely to be the emergency third QB for the third straight week as he battles through a shoulder injury. The 30-year-old Winston gave the Browns offense an initial spark when he took over for Deshaun Watson (Achilles) midway through the year, but his turnover issues became too much and he was benched in Week 15 in favor of Thompson-Robinson. DTR hasn't looked very great in his two starts under center, but the Browns have to play out the string. None of the three QBs figure to be the answer for Cleveland going forward into 2025.