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New Orleans Saints announced on Monday starting quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his left knee and damaged his MCL (medial collateral ligament). Saints coach Sean Payton told media Winston will be out for the remainder of the season.
Coach Payton discussed with the media how he believes more injures occur when playing on artificial grass. Payton called the injury a “classic field-turf injury.”
Buccaneers linebacker Devin White was flagged for an illegal horse-collar tackle which resulted in Winston being out for the rest of the game. Quarterback Trevor Siemian replaced Winston on the field and helped lead the team to a victory. Siemian completed 16 of 29 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. He assisted in two touchdowns and three field goals.
Payton told the media that he thought Siemian played well and adapted to the situation.
Payton said, “There were a number of plays where he’s got a free rusher and he gets the ball out on time. I thought he played with poise and made good decisions. It’s what you want someone to do that’s coming into the game really without a lot of work, and I thought he handled the situation well. The tape was good for him.”
Payton talks about Winston’s leadership and his past performance.
Winston is due to become a free agent in about five months. The injury makes the future of his career complicated. Due to this bump in the road, he will have to sign a one-year deal with a team. Winston is relying on a healthy and fast recovery to be able to sign a contract when he is a free agent.
