The reports on Aaron Rodgers to the Minnesota Vikings remain conflicting.
As such, to whom Minnesota might turn if Rodgers doesn’t join J.J. McCarthy in the quarterback room this season remains a highly pertinent question. The ranks of viable backup QB options for a Super Bowl-caliber roster are shrinking as the league heads toward its second week of free agency, which is also a highly pertinent fact.
One option is Jameis Winston, who holds a unique record as the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 30 TDs and 30 INTs in the same season. He accomplished that feat in 2019, when he led the league in pass attempts (626), passing yards (5,109) and interceptions (30). Winston also finished with 33 TD passes.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded Winston to the New Orleans Saints the following offseason, replacing him with Tom Brady, and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Winston is famously reckless under center. However, he’s also got a famously good arm and would present a serious deep-touchdown threat to any defense playing against the Vikings’ highly skilled group of offensive position players. As such, Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated listed Winston among the top remaining options for the Vikings.
“Winston is one of the biggest names still out there, but he might not be the ideal fit for the Vikings from either an on-field or off-field perspective,” Ragatz wrote on Sunday, March 16. “The ultimate gunslinger, Winston is basically the extreme version of [Nick] Mullens. And while his personality has made him a fan favorite in the NFL, he does also have multiple incidents involving alleged sexual misconduct in his past.”
Winston’s most recent legal issue in that regard came in 2016, which he settled in December of that year, per ESPN.
Vikings Proved With Nick Mullens They Can Win With Big-Armed, Turnover-Prone QB Like Jameis Winston
GettyQuarterback Nick Mullens, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.
Mullens served as the backup QB behind Sam Darnold last season, though played very little due to Darnold’s relative health and success. However, in the year prior, Minnesota’s offense proved it could do damage with a big-armed quarterback who, despite his talent, is a bit too prone to turnovers.
Minnesota went 0-3 with Mullens as the starter in 2023. However, the team lost by just a field goal on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime during his first start and played the NFC North Division champion Detroit Lions to within six points the following week in a defeat at U.S. Bank Stadium. All told, Mullens appeared in five games and notched 1,306 yards, 7 TDs and 8 INTs over that stretch.
Meanwhile, Winston took over as the starter for the Cleveland Browns following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles tear in 2024 and had some similarly big performances. Winston appeared in 12 games, earning seven starts and a 2-5 record.
However, he threw for 334 yards and 3 TDs (zero INTs) in a win over the Baltimore Ravens, 395 yards and 2 TDs (zero INTs) in a loss to the Saints, and 497 yards and 4 TDs (3 INTs) in a loss to the Denver Broncos.
All told, Winston accounted for north of 2,100 passing yards, 13 TDs and 12 INTs with the Browns. He also notched a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cleveland last season.
Jameis Winston’s Presence Could Help J.J. McCarthy in First Year as Vikings Starter
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
Given his track record, Winston probably isn’t a guy head coach Kevin O’Connell wants starting in the playoffs.
However, he could make plenty of sense as a two- or three-game stopgap solution mid-season if McCarthy suffers an injury. Yes, Winston could easily lose the Vikings a game they should win in that scenario, but he could also win them a game they should lose.
Winston was highly supportive of Watson in his role as a backup in Cleveland, even when the fans and sports media were coming down on Watson for his lack of performance in his third year with the team. McCarthy would probably benefit from that kind of support and positive attitude in the locker room, which could play a factor in Minnesota’s ultimate decision.
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