As far as backup quarterbacks go, the league may have no better hype man than Jameis Winston.
The Browns signed the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft to a one-year deal in March, setting him up to be the team’s QB2 behind Deshaun Watson. Winston has delivered some impassioned answers about Watson and his ability throughout the offseason, but what he said on Thursday may have reached another level.
Asked about how Watson is handling scrutiny and how he’s helping Watson with that, Winston launched into a long response that began with noticing how well Watson performed to help Clemson defeat Alabama in the National Championship game.
“I saw him get beat up. But he persevered,” Winston said. “And I think through his whole life, when you think of where he grew up, Deshaun was built for adversity. He was built for resilience. So, honestly, I know he respects everyone’s opinion. But the most important opinion to him is himself. And I know he’s working through a lot of different things, but he’s happy. He’s poised. He isn’t fazed by anything anyone has to say because he’s on a mission to be the best quarterback he possibly can be.
"[H]e knows the magnitude and expectation that a lot of people have for him. But if you think that Deshaun Watson has a lesser expectation than all the fans or all of you have of him, then you’re short-changing yourself because he has high expectations. He wants to be — and will be — a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. And honestly, that’s what I’m here for, because I guarantee you, I’m feeding that into him. I’m making sure that he knows that. And he really doesn’t need my help because he has it.”
Watson’s National Championship victory came at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., which is why Winston got to see it. That game clearly left a lasting impression of Watson’s talents on him.
“I think that’s one of the things that a lot of people forget,” Winston said. “When you can go out and you can see practice, you can nick nack this that, paddy whack, give a dog a bone — Deshaun Watson is going to turn it on. He’s always going to find a way to shine when the lights come on.”
When Winston starts speaking like this, the tone always feels genuine — which is likely part of why the Browns brought him to Cleveland to be Watson’s backup in the first place. Plus, Winston’s experience inherently makes him a high-quality QB2.
“I want to people to know that I’m here to encourage them, lift them up in any way that I can,” Winston said. “And that’s just who I am.”