Jameis Winston makes bold declaration on NFL future after being benched by Browns

When news broke that Jameis Winston was officially being benched by the Cleveland Browns in favor of second-year pro Dorian Thompson-Robinson, it felt like the end of a long and winding roller coaster ride.

The Browns had incredible highs and ugly lows, but through it all, the offense was mostly interesting, which was never the case under Deshaun Watson.

But did Winston do enough to earn another look as a starting quarterback, be it in Cleveland or elsewhere? Well, reporters asked the benched QB that very question on Wednesday and laid his opinion out plainly for all to hear.

“No, I definitely feel like I showed enough. That I am capable of being a starter in this league,” Winston told reporters. “However, there are some things that are important for me to get fixed and to get addressed so that I can be the player that I desire to be in this football league. But no, it was fun. It was a fun ride. But what’s most important right now is that the ride continues, even if my show stops, the team’s show still goes on and I’m still going to be an instrumental part in help leading this team to some success.”

You know, Winston is right on with his assessment as yeah, he showed that he can throw the ball effectively down the field and keep a player in games with his deep ball passing. With that being said, he does still turnover the ball more often than is effective for a starting NFL quarterback, effectively highlighting why he was initially drafted high and then was relegated to a reserve role in the first place. If he lands in a better situation next year, who knows how things could shake out, but in all likelihood, Winston will be a QB2 in 2025.

Jameis Winston had the time of his life with the Browns

At the end of his media session, Winston was asked to summarize his time in Cleveland, from being on the bench to entering a game as a QB3 to his run as a starter. While things obviously didn’t end the way he wanted them to, in the end, Winston is proud of his time in Cleveland and is proud of what he’s accomplished.

“Yeah, and that’s what I do it for and I know I’m capable of bringing that fun and that joy and I know I’m capable of transitioning the paradigm shift of an organization. What I am going to continue to focus on and build upon is my ability to consistently do that. Consistently have that fun without lows. Eliminate all the lows, eliminate all the negatives that are in my game. And literally my game, there’s only one negative that’s in my game. So that’s something again that I can control. That’s something that I will continue to build upon. But outside of that man, I’m going to be rooting for my boys and being ready and staying ready, so I don’t have to get ready.”

Wow, closing things off with a positive, joyous note. Even if Winston won’t be starting for the Browns down the stretch, barring injury, at least he went out the way he spent his days as a starter, with a relentless positivity that made him a massive favorite in the locker room.