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Jameis Winston
refer to caption
Winston with the New Orleans Saints in 2021
No. 19 – New York Giants
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1994-01-06) January 6, 1994 (age 31)
Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight: 231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school: Hueytown
College: Florida State (2012–2014)
NFL Draft: 2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
  • Pro Bowl (2015)
  • NFL passing yards leader (2019)
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2015)
  • BCS national champion (2013)
  • Heisman Trophy (2013)
  • Walter Camp Award (2013)
  • Manning Award (2013)
  • Davey O'Brien Award (2013)
  • AP College Football Player of the Year (2013)
  • SN College Player of the Year (2013)
  • Consensus All-American (2013)
  • ACC Athlete of the Year (2014)
  • ACC Player of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Rookie of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year (2013)
  • 2× First-team All-ACC (2013, 2014)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Passing attempts: 3,178
Passing completions: 1,944
Completion percentage: 61.2%
TD–INT: 154–111
Passing yards: 24,225
Passer rating: 86.4

Jameis Winston is an American professional football quarterback who plays for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). He was born on January 6, 1994. Winston played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy, a very important award in college football. He also led his team to win the 2014 BCS National Championship Game in his first year. After college, he was chosen as the very first player in the 2015 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winston set many new records for rookie players with the Buccaneers. He was even chosen for the Pro Bowl, which is a special game for the best players. In 2019, he led the entire league in passing yards. After playing for the Buccaneers, Winston joined the New Orleans Saints and later the Cleveland Browns. As of 2025, he plays for the New York Giants.

Early Life and High School Sports

Jameis Winston was born in Bessemer, Alabama. He went to Hueytown High School. There, he was a talented athlete who played both football and baseball. Experts thought he was one of the best young quarterbacks in the country. He was known as a "dual-threat quarterback" because he was good at both throwing and running the ball.

Winston decided to go to Florida State University in 2012. He was also picked by the Texas Rangers in the baseball draft. Even though the Rangers wanted him to play baseball professionally, Winston chose to focus on college sports.

College Career Highlights

Playing Football at Florida State

Starting Strong in 2013

Winston did not play in 2012, but he became Florida State's starting quarterback in 2013. In his very first college game, he played incredibly well. He completed 25 out of 27 passes and threw four touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown, helping his team win 41–17.

Winston led his team to an amazing undefeated season, winning all 13 games. They also won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship.

Jameis Winston 2013 headcrop
Winston playing in 2013

For his fantastic performance in 2013, Winston received many awards. He was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year. He also won the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Most importantly, he won the Heisman Trophy on December 14, 2013. He was only the second freshman (first-year student) to win this award. He was also the youngest player ever to win it at 19 years old.

On his 20th birthday, January 6, 2014, Florida State won the 2014 BCS National Championship Game. They beat Auburn 34–31 in a very exciting game. Winston was named the Offensive MVP of the game. He threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, including the winning touchdown pass with only 13 seconds left! He finished his first season with 4,057 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns. These numbers set new records for the ACC and for freshmen in college football.

Jameis Winston in shotgun (15978281642)
Winston getting ready for a play in the 2014 ACC Championship.

2014 Season and Leaving College

Winston played 13 games in his second season. The Seminoles had another great regular season, going 13–0. They played in the 2015 Rose Bowl, which was a semifinal game for the College Football Playoff. Oregon won that game 59–20, which was Winston's only loss as a starting quarterback in college. He finished the season with 3,907 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.

After the 2014 season, Winston decided to leave college early to enter the 2015 NFL draft. He finished his college career with an impressive record of 26 wins and only 1 loss as a starter. He threw for 7,964 yards and 65 touchdowns.

College Football Statistics

Season Team Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Comp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate Att Yards Avg TD
2012 Florida State Redshirt Redshirt
2013 Florida State 14 14 14–0 257 384 66.9 4,057 10.6 40 10 184.8 77 193 2.5 4
2014 Florida State 13 13 12–1 305 467 65.4 3,907 8.4 25 18 145.5 57 65 1.2 3
Total 27 27 26–1 562 851 66.0 7,964 9.4 65 28 163.3 134 258 1.9 7

College Awards and Honors

  • Heisman Trophy (2013)
  • Walter Camp Award (2013)
  • Manning Award (2013)
  • Archie Griffin Award (2013)
  • AP Player of the Year (2013)
  • Sporting News Player of the Year (2013)
  • BCS National Championship (2014)
  • BCS National Championship Offensive MVP (2014)
  • Orange Bowl champion (2013)
  • Consensus All-American (2013)
  • 2× First-team All-ACC (2013, 2014)
  • ACC Player of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Rookie of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Athlete of the Year (2014)
  • College Football Performance National Freshman of the Year (2013)
  • ACC Championship Game MVP (2013)
  • 3× ACC Championship (2012, 2013, 2014)
  • USA Today High School All-American (2011)

Playing Baseball at Florida State

Jameis Winston at bat 2014 03
Winston playing baseball in 2014

Winston also played for the Florida State Seminoles baseball team. He was a switch-hitting batter and a right-handed pitcher. In 2013, he played as an outfielder and a pitcher. He had a batting average of .235 and an earned run average of 3.00. Before the 2014 season, he was named a preseason All-American for baseball.

College Baseball Statistics

Season Team IP W L SV ERA SO BB BA H R HR RBI BB SLG/OBP
2013 Florida State 27.0 1 2 2 3.00 21 12 .235 28 21 0 9 22 .345/.377
2014 Florida State 33.1 1 0 7 1.08 31 7 .128 5 6 0 4 8 .179/.292
Total 60.1 2 2 9 1.95 62 19 .208 33 27 0 13 30

Professional Football Career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 3+3⁄4 in
(1.92 m)		 231 lb
(105 kg)		 32 in
(0.81 m)		 9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.97 s 1.74 s 2.89 s 4.36 s 7.16 s 28.5 in
(0.72 m)		 8 ft 7 in
(2.62 m)		 27
All values from NFL Combine except the Wonderlic

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015–2019)

Jameis Winston 2015
Winston in his rookie season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Jameis Winston as the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team.

Rookie Season (2015)

Winston played his first regular season game against fellow top draft pick Marcus Mariota. His first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. However, he quickly improved. On November 22, 2015, he tied an NFL rookie record by throwing five touchdown passes in one game.

Winston set many new records for rookie quarterbacks with the Buccaneers. He had 4,042 passing yards, becoming only the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. Because Tom Brady chose not to play, Winston was selected for his first Pro Bowl game, becoming the first rookie quarterback from the Buccaneers to do so.

Building on Success (2016)

Winston's second season started strong with a win against the Atlanta Falcons. He threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns. The team faced some challenges but then went on a five-game winning streak. Winston led the Buccaneers to their first winning season in six years. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to start his career with two seasons of over 4,000 passing yards.

Injuries and Challenges (2017–2018)

In 2017, Winston dealt with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss some games. Despite this, he became the second-youngest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career passing yards. The Buccaneers finished the season with a 5–11 record.

In 2018, Winston was suspended for the first three games. He returned to play and set new franchise records for career passing touchdowns and career completions. He finished the season with 2,992 passing yards and 19 touchdowns.

Leading the League in Passing (2019)

In 2019, Winston had a new head coach, Bruce Arians. He broke the Buccaneers' franchise record for career passing yards early in the season. He had several impressive games, including one with 385 yards and four touchdowns. He also became the first Buccaneers quarterback to throw 100 career touchdowns.

Winston had a career-best game against the Indianapolis Colts, throwing for 456 yards and five touchdowns. He then became the first quarterback in NFL history to have two games in a row with over 450 passing yards. He also broke the franchise record for passing touchdowns in a single season.

In Week 17, Winston became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season. He finished the 2019 season leading the league with 5,109 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns. After this season, Winston was not re-signed by the Buccaneers.

New Orleans Saints (2020–2023)

Backup and Playoff Touchdown (2020)

In 2020, Winston signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. He mostly served as a backup quarterback. He made a memorable play in the playoffs against his former team, the Buccaneers. He threw a 56-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.

Starting Quarterback and Injury (2021)

In 2021, Winston re-signed with the Saints and was named the starting quarterback. In his first start for the Saints, he threw for five touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers, leading his team to a 38–3 victory.

However, in Week 8, Winston suffered a serious knee injury (a torn ACL and MCL damage). This injury ended his season early.

Returning from Injury (2022–2023)

Winston signed a new contract with the Saints in 2022. He played in the first three games but then became the backup quarterback. In 2023, he re-signed with the Saints again and appeared in seven games, mostly as a backup.

Cleveland Browns (2024)

In 2024, Winston signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. He became the starting quarterback after an injury to Deshaun Watson. In his first start, he threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Browns to a win. He later set a Browns single-game record with 497 passing yards and four touchdowns in a game against the Denver Broncos.

New York Giants (2025–Present)

On March 31, 2025, Winston signed a two-year contract with the New York Giants.

NFL Career Statistics

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high
Regular season statistics
Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2015 TB 16 16 6–10 312 535 58.3 4,042 7.6 68 22 15 84.2 54 213 3.9 21 6 27 190 6 2
2016 TB 16 16 9–7 345 567 60.8 4,090 7.2 45 28 18 86.1 53 165 3.1 14 1 35 239 10 6
2017 TB 13 13 3–10 282 442 63.8 3,504 7.9 70 19 11 92.2 33 135 4.1 17 1 33 207 15 7
2018 TB 11 9 3–6 244 378 64.6 2,992 7.9 64 19 14 90.2 49 281 5.7 18 1 27 157 7 3
2019 TB 16 16 7–9 380 626 60.7 5,109 8.2 71 33 30 84.3 59 250 4.2 26 1 47 282 12 5
2020 NO 4 0 — 7 11 63.6 75 6.8 19 0 0 83.5 8 −6 −0.8 3 0 2 11 0 0
2021 NO 7 7 5–2 95 161 59.0 1,170 7.3 72 14 3 102.8 32 166 5.2 20 1 11 69 2 1
2022 NO 3 3 1–2 73 115 63.5 858 7.5 51 4 5 79.5 5 16 3.2 6 0 11 74 3 0
2023 NO 7 0 — 25 47 53.2 264 5.6 30 2 3 57.4 5 −6 −1.2 −1 0 2 13 0 0
2024 CLE 12 7 2–5 181 296 61.1 2,121 7.2 89 13 12 80.6 25 83 3.3 13 1 24 130 5 2
Career 105 87 36–51 1,944 3,178 61.2 24,225 7.6 89 154 111 86.4 323 1,297 4.0 26 12 219 1,372 60 26
Postseason statistics
Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2020 NO 1 0 — 1 1 100.0 56 56.0 56 1 0 158.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 1 0 0–0 1 1 100.0 56 56.0 56 1 0 158.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Records and Achievements

NFL Records

  • Most passing touchdowns in a single game by a rookie quarterback: 5 (tied)
  • Youngest player to pass for 3,000 yards: (21 years, 342 days)
  • Youngest player to pass for 4,000 yards: (21 years, 363 days)
  • Most seasons of passing for 4,000 yards to begin a career: 2 (2015–2016)
  • Most consecutive 450+ yards passing games: 2 (2019)
  • First player in NFL history to throw 30-or-more touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season: (2019)

Buccaneers Franchise Records

Rookie Records

  • Most passing touchdowns by a rookie – 22
  • Most passing yards by a rookie – 4,042
  • Most games started by a rookie – 16
  • Most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback – 6

Game Records

  • Most consecutive games of 300 yards passing – 6 (2019)
  • Most passing touchdowns in a game – 5 (tied)

Season Records

  • Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season – 6 (2015)
  • Most passing touchdowns in a season – 33 (2019)
  • Most passing yards in a season – 5,109 (2019)
  • Most seasons with 4,000+ passing yards – 3 (2015–2019)
  • Most games of 300 yards passing in a single season – 11 (2019)

Career Records

  • Most games of 300 passing yards – 27
  • Most passing touchdowns – 121
  • Most passing yards – 19,737
  • Most rushing yards by a quarterback – 1,044

Browns Franchise Records

Game Records

  • Most passing yards by a QB making their Browns starting debut – 334 (October 28, 2024)
  • Most passing yards in a game – 497 (December 2, 2024)

Personal Life

Jameis Winston is married to Breion Allen. They have two sons together.

Images for kids

See also

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