Jameis Winston Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston's one-year contract with the Browns is now up, and it doesn't appear the team is interested in bringing him back. They still have Deshaun Watson under contract, though that doesn't do much for them, and traded for former Philadelphia Eagles QB Kenny Pickett. Doesn't help them much either.

Then again, Winston's highly turnover-prone nature and proclivity for miserable performances, like his Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, has probably convinced them, with good reason, that he's not a great long-term option. In that contest, he completed 16 of his 25 passes for just 146 yards, threw no touchdowns and tossed three interceptions.

He also fumbled the ball five times, losing two, in his seven starts. In Winston's good games, he's capable of lifting an offense, as long as they can overcome the advantages he gives to the other teams by turning the ball over more than he generates scores, which is a common occurrence. With that in mind, let's break down the best landing spots for Winston ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

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San Francisco 49ers

One of the two teams that's reportedly in talks with Winston right now is the San Francisco 49ers. This would be a perfect fit for Winston. While he certainly wouldn't get the nod over starting quarterback Brock Purdy, he'd be in one of the league's most productive offensive systems with a wide array of great pass-catching weapons around him, including tight end George Kittle, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings, and running back Christian McCaffrey.

The 49ers have had conversations with Jameis Winston to be their backup quarterback, per @JosinaAnderson pic.twitter.com/84KyNdw4kJ

— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) March 10, 2025

It would be a fantastic situation for Winston to land in. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has a way of maximizing the offensive production of his rosters, consistently overperforming even with backup quarterbacks or second-string players at other positions. He elevated QB Jimmy Garoppolo, managing to get to the Super Bowl with him at quarterback, despite him being... not a very skilled signal-caller.

Garoppolo's performance with and without Shanahan running the offense should be very revealing. The year after he left the 9ers for the Las Vegas Raiders, he threw for just 1,205 yards, seven TDs, and nine INTs in 12 games and was benched for a rookie fifth-round selection, Aidan O'Connell, after just eight games. He hasn't had a starting job since.

🚨IMO, this is why Jimmy Garoppolo will still be replaced. He either refuses or can't make the big throws down the field. The film is the film. Even in a great performance, these types of reps/turn downs speak volumes.🚨#FTTB
📽️https://t.co/Sb2ztC1Ezf pic.twitter.com/jmQOe8O18K

— The QB School (@theqbschool) November 23, 2022

Winston is the opposite of Garoppolo with respect to the X post above. While Jimmy G refuses to throw the ball down the field, even when his players are open, Winston is a gunslinger that's willing and eager to launch missiles to any part of the field if he thinks they'll result in a completion. While Shanahan would fume at the turnovers, he'd also be the best OC Winston's ever had, and is capable of scheming his elite weapons wide open.

It would be a great spot for Winston to land in, fantasy football wise. He'd be an immediate starting option if Purdy got hurt, and could put up several weeks of QB1 numbers if given the chance.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings declined to re-sign their starting quarterback for 2024, Sam Darnold, after just one season with the team. While it appears that J.J. McCarthy, who the team chose early in the 2024 NFL Draft, is in line to start, they don't have a skilled backup (relative to other backups) QB to take his place in case of an injury. And it's uncertain just how well-recovered McCarthy is, or if he'll be prone to further injuries, after he hurt his meniscus in the 2024 preseason and had to miss the entire year thereafter.

JJ McCarthy's situation:

Top 5 HC / Playcaller
Top 3 WR1
Top 5 WR2
Top 10 TE1
The 2nd ranked FA OG
The 2nd ranked FA C
Two Top 20 OT's

Historically elite situation, for an elite talent. Dynasty stock simply can't be high enough. pic.twitter.com/xLXGKWKuBz

— Dynasty Zoltan (@DynastyZoltanFF) March 11, 2025

McCarthy is widely viewed as stepping into one of the best situations a rookie QB has ever stepped in to. The offense is loaded with talent, with stars all across the offensive line that did a great job protecting Darnold last season, even though he crumbles under pressure. And they signed reinforcements across the OL to make it even better in preparation for the 2025 season. They had the cap space to do so due to not paying a QB top dollar.

They also have wide receiver Justin Jefferson, one of the best at his position in NFL history, Jordan Addison, one of the better No. 2 wideouts in the league, and T.J. Hockenson, who will be another offseason removed from his season-ending torn ACL in 2023. The team re-signed running back Aaron Jones as well, so the run game will be in good hands, helping extend drives and pressure defenses with an extra dimension.

Additionally, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is one of the best offensive designers and play callers in the league, evidenced by his team's consistent presence in the top-10 scoring offenses in the NFL when his starting quarterback stays healthy.

These weapons, with this offensive line, and Kevin O'Connell coaching

That's about as good of an offensive architecture that a young QB could ask for pic.twitter.com/jYp6Zt2vi7

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) March 11, 2025

Miami Dolphins

Considering what happened to the team's offense when their QB1, Tua Tagovailoa, got a concussion and missed four games last season, it would serve them well to sign a backup that would give their offense life. Tagovailoa also missed the final two contests of the year with a hip injury. He has just one full season of 16 or more games played, averaging less than 12 games played in his other four years in the league.

📈 Miami Dolphins offense with Tua Tagovailoa in 2024:

➖ 2.43 points per drive (9th)
➖ 24.8% touchdown rate (9th)
➖ 35.3 yards per drive (8th)

📉 Miami Dolphins offense without Tua Tagovailoa in 2024:

➖ 1.10 points per drive (32nd)
➖ 9.6% touchdown rate (32nd)
➖ 21.8… pic.twitter.com/3ky6eSuMHF

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) January 21, 2025

Having almost no chance to win a game with your current backup quarterback should be enough motivation for the Dolphins to go shopping for a new one, especially when the starter is injury-prone. And the skillsets of Miami's offensive players, most notably pure speed, mesh well with Winston's playstyle, namely reviving the big plays reminiscent of the 2022 and 2023 Dolphins offenses, and more broadly, the offenses of a lot of teams from longer ago.

Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are two of the fastest players in the NFL today, and running back De'Von Achane is one of its fastest RBs. Achane has a fantastic pass-catching skillset as well. Winston would immediately be right at home slinging deep balls (and checking it down as needed) to the track stars the Dolphins have signed.

Tyreek Hill was UNREAL Today! 🐆💨

- 11 REC
- 19.5 AVG
- 215 YDS
- 2 TD

Full Highlights ⬇️ #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/Pos6uoTlhI

— Bobby Shouse (@B_Shousejr) September 11, 2023

The Dolphins offense didn't look the same in 2024 as it had in previous seasons, likely due to the flow being disrupted with Tagovailoa's injury and the reshuffling of the offensive line. Winston cares about neither of these things, and could allow McDaniel to run his offense of old. It would be great for his production as well, because it would likely be the best group of offensive skill-position players he would ever throw the ball to.

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