After celebrating his team’s win with a snow angel, snowball fight, and singing “Jingle Bells” on his way to the media room, Jameis Winston ended his postgame press conference with a simple question: “Am I a Brown yet?”
Now, he is.
And it might be for longer than anyone thought.
Winston became part of Cleveland football history on Thursday night when he helped the Browns win 24-19 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, breaking their five-game winning streak.
Winston’s performance in the heavy snow at Huntington Bank Field made him a hero to Browns fans and added more questions to the team’s ongoing quarterback situation.
In his fourth start since Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles injury, Winston played well enough to help the Browns (3-8) get a win that could ease concerns about coach Kevin Stefanski’s future.
Some wins mean more than others, and beating the Steelers in Cleveland is always a big deal.
But beyond just the win, Winston’s performance has given the Browns more to think about as they plan for the future.
Watson’s future in Cleveland is uncertain, as it will be months before the team knows whether he’ll be an option for 2025, the fourth year of his $230 million, fully guaranteed contract, which has not worked out as expected.
It’s also possible that the Browns may part ways with Watson.
Winston was originally signed to a one-year deal as Watson’s backup. But with the surprising events of 2024, the Browns now face the possibility that Winston, 30, could be their full-time quarterback or at least a bridge to their next young quarterback.
A lot is still unclear, but one thing that is certain is that Winston, who scored a touchdown on a fourth-and-2 run to give the Browns an 18-6 lead in the fourth quarter, has made a difference.
His big personality and enthusiasm, whether he’s practicing or throwing three touchdown passes, have energized the Browns.
A man of faith, Winston has helped his teammates believe in themselves.
Winston has done what Watson couldn’t: made the Browns better.
“A very, very authentic person,” Stefanski said Friday on a Zoom call. “He’s the same guy every single day. He’s the same guy at 5 a.m. as he is at 5 p.m. He brings great energy to everything he does, and I think his teammates appreciate that about him.”
Winston, who is 2-2 as a starter with wins over the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, is known for his fiery pregame speeches, but what has impressed the Browns most is his ability to stay calm under pressure.
“He doesn’t get rattled,” said Myles Garrett, who had three sacks against the Steelers. “He’s just tuned in and focused as anyone I’ve seen at that position. Turn the page.
There was a turnover, came back to the sideline, ‘Love you. I’m sorry. We’re going to get it back.’ He was already on to the next one, ‘How can we complete the mission?’
“I have a lot of respect for him. First was from afar and now seeing it on the field in front of me, it’s a blessing to have someone who plays a game with such passion and desire. You can’t ask for a better teammate when they take those things to heart and want to play for you like we’re brothers, and that’s what we’re striving for.”
