The New Orleans Saints are in the process of finalizing a one-year deal with Jameis Winston, but before the quarterback agreed to join the Saints, some wondered if he could link up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rumors even swirled that the Steelers had made Winston a lucrative offer before he ultimately chose New Orleans.
But apparently, the Steelers never even considered it.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Pittsburgh had “zero interest” in Winston. La Canfora does note that Winston was “more than open” to signing with the Steelers, but the feeling was not mutual.
Winston, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, was originally selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He showed promise during his rookie campaign, throwing for 4,042 yards, 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while completing 58.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 84.2, en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Winston then showed slight improvement in 2016, finishing with 4,090 yards, 28 touchdowns and 18 picks, completing 60.8 percent of his throws and registering a passer rating of 86.1.
However, after that, his progression stalled.
Between 2017 and 2018, Winston played in 24 of a possible 32 regular-season games, missing time due to injuries and as a result of merely being benched due to poor performance.
The 26-year-old then had a Jekyll-and-Hyde of a season in 2019, as he led the NFL with 5,109 yards passing yards and threw 33 touchdown passes but also tossed 30 interceptions. That gave Winston the dubious distinction of becoming the first player in league history to total 30 touchdowns and 30 picks in the same season.
The Buccaneers decided to part ways with Winston this offseason, signing legendary quarterback Tom Brady to a two-year deal. Now, Winston will take his talents to an NFC South division rival.
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