Cleveland Browns Urged To Prioritize Starting Reps For QB Jameis Winston

The Cleveland Browns will need Jameis Winston to be ready just in case during the 2024 season.

Browns quarterback Jameis Winston throws during minicamp, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Berea. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Jameis Winston, they knew they were signing a player that could be very important for the 2024 season.

Ideally, Deshaun Watson will come out and finally live up to the talent that made the Browns make such an aggressive trade for him. However, in back-to-back seasons, he has been disappointing and has dealt with injury issues.

Winston needs to be ready to play this season. Even though the team would rather see Winston sit on the bench the entire season, because it would mean that Watson is performing well, they need to prepare for the possibility that Winston will end up on the field.

That has led to Factory of Sadness writer Sayre Bedinger to list Winston getting plenty of reps with the starters as a major priority for Cleveland.

"This may seem like a little bit of a hot take, but if the last two years have shown us anything, it's that the Cleveland Browns need to be overly prepared in case Deshaun Watson doesn't play much this coming season. Getting and keeping Watson fully healthy will be an obvious priority for this franchise, but so will making sure Jameis Winston gets enough reps with the starters over the course of training camp and preseason games."

If his number is called, Winston will undoubtedly be ready.

Throughout his NFL career, the 30-year-old quarterback has shown tremendous potential. Unfortunately, he has never been able to put it all together.

It looked like Winston had found a long-term home to start the 2021 season with the New Orleans Saints. Injuries took that opportunity away from him.

During that season, Winston played in seven games. He completed just 59 percent of his pass attempts, but threw for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just three interceptions.

While his momentum did not carry on with the Saints, he's still an above average backup quarterback. He's more than capable of stepping in and starting if the Browns need him.

Making sure that he receives some reps with the starters should be a priority. He won't be Plan A, but Cleveland has to make sure it's prepared for Plan B if needed.