Sean Payton: Jameis Winston is the “ultimate pro”

Monday night’s Browns-Broncos game has an interesting subplot that traces to New Orleans.

Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston spent two years with the Saints, working for Broncos coach Sean Payton.

Payton reflected on his time with Winston during a Wednesday press conference.

“I enjoyed it,” Payton said. “He’s big. He’s tremendous in the locker room. I said this already — he’s got this infectious personality. [He has] a smile on his face every day he’s at work. You hear him before you see him — that type of guy. . . . I really enjoyed coaching him and having a chance to work with him. He’s the ultimate pro. He has natural leadership abilities, and you feel that with him. You have to remember now there were years when he was in Tampa playing against us. I hated him because that was one of the opposing teams’ quarterbacks, but we always had some good battles. When he came to our program, he was a sponge as a backup. . . . It will be good to shake his hand and see him after the game.”

Winston was the Week 1 starter in 2021, the year after Brees retired. Winston led the Saints to a 5-2 record before tearing his ACL.

Now, Payton will be facing Winston again.

“He has tremendous arm strength,” Payton said. “He can get the ball down the field. He can get rid of it, and he can still slide up in the pocket and run. You’re defending the system in the offense and what we’re currently seeing. Then we look at the body of work. I don’t know that there’s anything I’m sharing with the defense that’s significant. You kind of see it on tape.”

It jumps off the screen. Winston has been the best quarterback on the Cleveland roster this year. And if they’d benched Deshaun Watson for Winston earlier, Monday night’s game could have a lot to do with jockeying for the No. 7 seed in the AFC.