Relegated to backup role in 2022 Over three games in the 2022 season, Winston went 73-for-115 passing for 858 yards and four touchdowns to five interceptions. He also recorded five rushes for 16 yards. Impact Winston finished his third season in New Orleans as the backup quarterback behind 35-year-old journeyman Andy Dalton. The 29-year-old initially took over the Saints' starting job for the first seven contests of the 2021 season before he suffered a torn ACL and sprained MCL in late October. Winston retained his starting job heading into the 2022 campaign, but he played through injury over the first three games after sustaining four fractures in his back Week 1. He was then inactive Weeks 4 and 5, allowing Dalton to take over and never let go of the Saints' No. 1 quarterback spot. Winston returned Week 6 and was listed as the team's No. 2 quarterback for the final 12 games, though he was never deemed 100 percent healthy by the Saints during this span. As a result, it's unclear how much his injury affected the team's decision to roll with Dalton as the starter. With Dalton now set to hit free agency and Winston entering the final season of a two-year, $28 million contract, there's little clarity as to how either of these two fit into New Orleans' plans at quarterback for the 2023 season.
JANUARY 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
