It’s being couched in some circles as “breaking news,” even if the supposedly breaking news is significantly softened by the use of the term “likely.” Currently news or not, it’s a no-brainer that, if the Saints sign quarterback Derek Carr, they won’t be keeping Jameis Winston.
Of course they won’t. Not at a salary of $12.8 million, under a contract that was given to him based on the notion that he’d become the starter.
He was, unless he suffered an injury and Andy Dalton played well enough to keep Winston on the bench for the balance of the year.
As recently explained, if the Saints cut Winston with a post-June 1 designation, they’d take a $2.8 million cap charge in 2023 and another $8.4 million in 2024. If they cut him with a pre-June 1 designation, they’d take the full $11.2 million this year.
Regardless, the Saints will save $12.8 million in cold, hard cash by cutting Winston. And the cold, hard truth is that, with the 2014 second-rounder on his way in, the first overall pick in 2015 will be on the way out.
And if/when Winston is cut, it will be interesting to see whether Sean Payton, who initially brought Jameis to New Orleans, will try to get him to join the depth chart in Denver.