Saints’ Jameis Winston crosses major hurdle in ACL recovery with NFL free agency looming

jameis-winston-saints-getty.jpg

Jameis Winston is slated to become an unrestricted free agent once again this offseason and one of the biggest questions surrounding the Saints quarterback surrounds his health. The former No. 1 overall pick suffered a torn ACL along with damage to his MCL in the midst of New Orleans’ Week 8 matchup against the Buccaneers. That injury put an end to Winston’s season and has since put him on a path of rehabilitation. 

As for that rehab, he has recently crossed over a major hurdle in his recovery with just weeks away from hitting the open market. On Monday, Champion Sports Medicine’s Kevin Wilk posted a video of Winston running for the first time since undergoing surgery on his left knee. 

Of course, this is an encouraging sign that Winston’s rehab is moving along positively. This latest update also couldn’t come at a more opportune time as free agency is set to open on March 16 and the NFL Scouting Combine is unfolding this week from Indianapolis. Winston showing that he is working toward returning to full strength will be an intriguing development for teams looking to bring in a quarterback this offseason, which includes the New Orleans Saints. 

Before going down with the injury, the 28-year-old — who signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Saints last offseason — was playing efficiently and had New Orleans at 5-2 to begin the year. 

headshot-image

While other teams could pursue him, the Saints do provide continuity for Winston even in the aftermath of Sean Payton stepping down as they have been able to retain a number of coaches, including new head coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. That level of familiarity could be attractive to Winston, especially as he continues to recover from surgery. 



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *