Who is Jameis Winston, the Browns starting QB against the Steelers in Week 12? Career stats, salary, contract...

The 2-8 Cleveland Browns have a tough matchup for Thursday Night Football tonight as they face AFC North rivals Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to be sitting atop the division at 8-2.

Amongst the Browns' many problems this season is the loss of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who went down with a season-ending Achilles injury during their Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. At that point, they were already off to a 1-7 start, so having Watson under center wasn’t doing much to help their cause.

Since then, the Browns have been leaning on Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback.

Winston’s NFL career

After a star-studded college career with Florida State, Winston entered the 2015 NFL Draft and was picked first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent the next five years with the Bucs, throwing for 19,737 yards, 121 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions in 72 games. It’s the interceptions that were a big problem, canceling out much of the positives Winston accomplished in his time with the Bucs. In 2019, he threw 30 interceptions and the following season, the Bucs dropped him for Tom Brady.

Winston signed with the New Orleans Saints the following year, but was mostly the backup to Drew Brees. The next year, 2021, he was chosen as the starting quarterback for the Saints over Taysom Hill, but suffered a season-ending ACL/MCL injury in Week 8. He was in and out with injuries to start the 2022 season and was eventually named as the backup to Andy Dalton by Week 6. In 2023, he re-signed with the Saints and appeared in just seven games without making much of an impact.

Winston signed with the Browns in April of this year on a one-year contract.

How Winston has fared with the Browns so far

Winston got off to a hot start with the Browns, throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns to take them to a shocking 29-24 victory over AFC North rivals Baltimore Ravens, snapping the Browns' five-game losing streak.

Since then, however, Winston hasn’t been able to get a win, and played inconsistently in his next two games. In their Week 9 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Winston finished with 235 passing yards, three interceptions, and one touchdown, and was sacked six times in the 27-10 loss.

After the bye week, Winston showed improvement, throwing for 395 yards and two touchdowns in their Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints, but the defense couldn’t keep up with New Orleans tight end Taysom Hill (yes, Winston’s former backup QB for the Saints).

Jameis Winston’s contract and salary with the Browns

For the 2024 NFL season, Winston has officially signed a one-year, $4 million contract with Cleveland. This contract was structured to provide him with immediate financial benefits, including a signing bonus of $2.79 million.

In addition to this bonus, Winston’s agreement guarantees him a base salary of $1.21 million for the season, ensuring financial security regardless of performance.

Moreover, the contract offers further potential earnings through various performance-based incentives. If Winston meets specific benchmarks during the season, he could earn up to an additional $4.75 million. These incentives are designed to reward his performance on the field, providing opportunities for substantial earnings based on his contributions to the team’s success.