After Jameis Winston led the Cleveland Browns to a huge win in the snow over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, the question has been raised as to whether the veteran could be re-signed in the offseason.
Winston was 18-27 for 219 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Browns 24-19 victory over their rival on November 21. Winston is 2-2 as Cleveland’s starter after taking over the job when Deshaun Watson tore his achilles against the Bengals.
During an appearance on November 24, Akron Beacon-Journal beat writer Chris Easterling told Spencer German and Jake Vulinec on the 92.3 The Fan that the Browns should take a hard look at that option.
When asked if Winston could be the Browns bridge quarterback in 2025 and be competition for Watson, Easterling said, “I certainly think they should consider him. Obviously I think it’s going to come down to money and you have to remember where they are with the cap and a number of guys on that roster and the dead cap they have, but if you get a financial done that makes sense, I absolutely think you should bring him back.”
The 30-year-old Winston, who has been in the NFL since 2015, signed a one-year contract worth $4 million heading into this season and will be an unrestricted free agent after the year is over.
Winston has thrown for 1,266 yards with 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in his four games as the Browns starter since Watson’s injury.
Easterling Says Re-Signing Jameis Winston ‘Would Give You Some Semblance of Continuity’
Easterling added, “Coming out of last season the question around re-signing Flacco was, ‘What would it do for Deshaun?’ And look, I don’t think they’re going to be too concerned about that this year in the offseason, but I think bringing Jameis back at least takes that variable out of the equation.”
He said, “You basically bring this quarterback group back that was from a year ago, from this year, but this time it’s just Jameis at the top, because Deshaun is not going to be ready until the start of training camp. It would give you some semblance of continuity going into next year at the most important position.”
Easterling said the Browns would also have Dorian Thompson-Robinson as a third QB option in the room. The former UCLA Bruin is currently in his second season in Cleveland after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. Former Patriots starting QB Bailey Zappe is also a possibility as a third QB, Easterling said. Zappe joined the Browns after Watson’s injury.
“It’s hard to say because we don’t know what they’re going to do with Deshaun himself because of the injury,” Easterling said. “Is that he going to start on injured reserve? Are you going to have to bring in two more quarterbacks? I think that worrying about the top is the most important thing and I think that’s where Jameis answers that question if they can make the money work.”
The Browns QB Situation Has Been the Topic of Much Speculation in Recent Days
With the uncertainty around Watson’s injury, and his struggles prior to being sidelined, there has been a lot of speculation around what the Browns will do at the QB position in 2025. Watson signed a 5-year, $230 million contract after he was traded to the Browns from the Texans in 2022.
The Browns have been tied to former New York Giants QB Daniel Jones, who was released after his own struggles this season.
When asked about Jones on November 23, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters, “Respectfully, and I saw that he is available, but respectfully, I’m not going to get into those type of thing.”
And the Browns could also turn to the draft to add another QB option. In his November 22, 2025 mock draft, CBS Sports analyst Josh Edwards had Cleveland taking Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward with the third overall pick.
Edwards wrote, “Cleveland is a mess right now. … If they do not get a top quarterback prospect, then they likely sign another low-cost veteran like Joe Flacco or Jameis Winston and it becomes difficult for them to justify not starting Watson over another player that has no future with the organization.”
