After five seasons in Tampa Bay, everything is new for Jameis Winston. A new team in the New Orleans Saints. A new offense and system under coach Sean Payton. Even a new role as backup to Drew Brees, which isn’t even a sure thing, given that the Saints also have Taysom Hill on the roster. 

But despite all the changes, the former first-overall pick has adapted well, and his new coach can attest to that. 

According to ProFootballTalk, Payton said that he has been pleased with the 26-year-old Winston.

“He’s in good shape. He’s very quickly picked up what we’re doing from a system standpoint. He’s made that transition with us pretty quickly,” he said.

The longtime Saints coach complimented Winston as a smart player and that giving him more reps would allow him to further grow accustomed to their system. 

In his final season with the Buccaneers, Winston led the NFL in passing yards, completions, and attempts, but also had the most interceptions and total turnovers. He became just the eighth quarterback in league history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, but also made the record books for being the first signal-caller to finish a season with at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.

The Saints signed the former Florida State standout to a one-year contract provided he can prove himself to the team, and he has so far done that. The backup quarterback position is an important one for New Orleans, as Brees missed five games last season due to a right hand injury, with backup Teddy Bridgewater stepping up in his absence.

With Bridgewater now in Carolina, Winston and Hill will have a chance to prove themselves as capable of running the offense in case their main signals-caller misses time due to injury.