Jameis Lanaed Winston (/ˈdʒeɪmɪs/JAY-miss; born January 6, 1994) is an American professionalfootballquarterback for theNew York Giants of theNational Football League (NFL). Winston playedcollege football for theFlorida State Seminoles, becoming the youngest player to win theHeisman Trophy and leading his team to victory in the2014 BCS National Championship Game during his freshman year. He was selectedfirst overall by theTampa Bay Buccaneers in the2015 NFL draft.
Winston set several franchise rookie records for the Buccaneers, earning himPro Bowl honors, and led the league in passing yards during the 2019 season. However, he was unable to reach the playoffs with Tampa Bay and his 2019 campaign was also marked with him leading the league ininterceptions, including setting the NFL season record for interceptions returned for touchdowns. After his rookie contract with the Buccaneers expired, Winston played for theNew Orleans Saints andCleveland Browns, alternating as a starter and backup, before joining the Giants in 2025.
Winston was born inBessemer, Alabama, on January 6, 1994.[1] He attendedHueytown High School, where he played bothfootball andbaseball.[2] Winston was considered the bestdual-threat quarterback recruit in the nation byRivals.com,[3] and the best overallquarterback recruit byESPN.[4] Winston was also named the MVP of theESPN RISE Elite 11 quarterback camp.[5][6] Additionally, Winston earned theGatorade Player of the Year recognition for the state of Alabama.[2]
Winston committed to attendFlorida State University on February 3, 2012.[7] TheTexas Rangers selected Winston in the 15th round of the2012 Major League Baseball draft out of high school. Though the Rangers proposed allowing him to play for theFlorida State Seminoles football team while working out with their baseball organization, Winston decided not to sign.[8][9]
Winstonredshirted during the 2012 college football season behind senior quarterbackEJ Manuel.[10]
Prior to the 2013 season, Winston was named Florida State's starting quarterback.[11][12] In his college debut, he completed 25 of 27 passes with four passingtouchdowns along with a rushing touchdown in a 41–17 victory over theUniversity of Pittsburgh.[13]
Winston helped lead the team to an undefeated 13–0 regular season record, including a 45–7 victory in theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship againstDuke.[14][15][16]
For his successes in 2013, Winston earned numerous accolades. He was named the 2013 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year to go along with winning theAssociated Press College Football Player of the Year,Davey O'Brien Award,Manning Award,Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, as well as the nickname "Famous Jameis".[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] In addition, he was named as a consensusAll-American.[24] Most notably, he won theHeisman Trophy on December 14, 2013, beating out quarterbacksA. J. McCarron,Jordan Lynch, andJohnny Manziel, the previous winner, as well as running backsTre Mason andAndre Williams.[25][26][27] He became the second freshman to win the award, after Manziel won the previous year. He also became the youngest to win the award, at 19 years and 342 days.[28]
On January 6, 2014, Winston's 20th birthday, Florida State defeatedAuburn 34–31 in the2014 BCS National Championship Game.[29] Winston was named the Offensive MVP of the game after passing for 235 yards with two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass toKelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left.[30][31] Winston finished his freshman season with a conference-leading 4,057 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns, which set an ACC record and aDivision I FBS freshman record,[32][33] and his 184.8passer rating led the NCAA.[34]
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Winston started 13 games his redshirt sophomore season. He did not play in one game due to suspension.[35] After a 13–0 regular season, the Seminoles were selected to play in the2015 Rose Bowl, a semifinal game in theCollege Football Playoff, againstOregon.[36] Oregon would win the game by a score of 59–20, giving Winston his only loss as a starter during his college career.[37] Winston finished the season with a conference-leading 3,907 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.[38][39] He finished in sixth place in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2014.[40]
After the season, Winston decided to forgo the remaining two years of eligibility and enter the2015 NFL draft.[41][42] He finished his career 26–1 as a starter and completed 562 of 851 passes for 7,964 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 28interceptions.[43]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the NCAA | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | |||
| 2012 | Florida State | Redshirt | |||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Florida State | 14 | 14 | 14–0 | 257 | 384 | 66.9 | 4,057 | 10.6 | 40 | 10 | 184.8 | 77 | 193 | 2.5 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Florida State | 13 | 13 | 12–1 | 305 | 467 | 65.4 | 3,907 | 8.4 | 25 | 18 | 145.5 | 57 | 65 | 1.2 | 3 | |
| Total | 27 | 27 | 26–1 | 562 | 851 | 66.0 | 7,964 | 9.4 | 65 | 28 | 163.3 | 134 | 258 | 1.9 | 7 | ||
Winston chose Florida State in part because he was allowed to play for theFlorida State Seminoles baseball team in addition to football. Aswitch-hitting batter and a right-handed thrower, he played as anoutfielder and apitcher as a freshman in 2013. Hebatted .235 with a .723on-base plus slugging in 119at-bats and had a 3.00earned run average in 27innings pitched.[8] Prior to the 2014 season, Winston was named a preseason All-American byBaseball America as a 3rd-teamutility player.[44]
| Season | Team | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO | BB | BA | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SLG/OBP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Florida State | 27.0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3.00 | 21 | 12 | .235 | 28 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 22 | .345/.377 |
| 2014 | Florida State | 33.1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1.08 | 31 | 7 | .128 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 8 | .179/.292 |
| Total | 60.1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1.95 | 62 | 19 | .208 | 33 | 27 | 0 | 13 | 30 | ||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft3+3⁄4 in (1.92 m) | 231 lb (105 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.97 s | 1.74 s | 2.89 s | 4.36 s | 7.16 s | 28.5 in (0.72 m) | 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) | 27 | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[45][46] except the Wonderlic[47] | ||||||||||||
TheTampa Bay Buccaneers took Winston first overall in the2015 NFL draft.[48][49] On May 1, 2015, Winston signed a four-year, $23.35 million contract with the Buccaneers, with a $16.7 million signing bonus.[50] The contract prevented him from playing any other sport than football.[51]
Winston played his first regular season game against theTennessee Titans that featured fellow first rounder,Marcus Mariota. In the 42–14 loss, his first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown byCoty Sensabaugh.[52][53] Winston's interception was the first time a rookie's first pass was returned for a touchdown sinceBrett Favre in 1991.[54]
On November 22, 2015, against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Winston tied an NFL rookie, and Buccaneers franchise, record with five touchdown passes.[55]
Winston set franchise rookie records in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Winston finished his rookie season with 4,042 passing yards, finishing 23 yards short of the franchise record set byJosh Freeman in 2012.[56] Winston also became the third rookie quarterback to pass over 4,000 yards in a season. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for his 2015 season, becoming the fourth Buccaneers quarterback to receive this award, joiningTom Owen (1974),Doug Williams (1978), andMike Glennon (2013).[57]
New England Patriots quarterbackTom Brady elected not to participate in the2016 Pro Bowl following his team's loss in the AFC Championship game; as a result, Winston was selected to his first Pro Bowl game making him the first rookie quarterback in Buccaneers' history to be selected.[58][59][a]
Winston's second season in the NFL began with an impressive performance against theAtlanta Falcons at theGeorgia Dome, in which he completed over 70% of his throws for 281 yards and four touchdown passes in a 31–24 victory. He earnedNational Football Conference (NFC) Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Falcons.[60][61] Following Week 1, the Buccaneers began to struggle through injuries, inconsistent play, and offensive turnovers till mid-season, at which point the team was 3–5 and had experienced blowout losses to theArizona Cardinals,Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons – a three-game losing streak. Following the loss to the Falcons, the Winston-led Buccaneers began playing efficient offense as well as exceptional defense and special teams play, resulting in the Buccaneers' first five-game winning streak since their Super Bowl-winningseason. The win streak gave the Buccaneers possession of the 6th seed in the NFC playoff race, which they quickly lost after back-to-back losses to theDallas Cowboys andNew Orleans Saints. Winston led the Buccaneers to their first winning season in six years after defeating theCarolina Panthers in the regular-season finale, during which he broke the franchise records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season and became the first quarterback in NFL history to start his career with consecutive seasons of 4,000 yards passing. However, the Buccaneers were eliminated from playoff contention via a tiebreaker with theDetroit Lions.[62][63] He was ranked 57th by his peers on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[64]
During Week 6 against the Cardinals, Winston left the game with an apparent right shoulder injury. The next day, October 16, Winston suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, but he stated that he could play through it.[65] During Week 9's loss to the Saints, Winston was taken out of the game with the same shoulder injury. Head coachDirk Koetter announced the next day that he would miss at least two weeks to rest his shoulder.[66] While on the sideline, Winston initiated an altercation with Saints rookieMarshon Lattimore, while being assisted by teammate Mike Evans,[67][68] for which Winston was fined $12,154.[69] In the game, Winston became the second-youngest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career passing yards, four days older than record holderDrew Bledsoe.[70] He missed the next three games due to injury and returned in Week 13. Overall, Winston and Buccaneers struggled to a 5–11 record.[71] Winston finished the 2017 season with 3,504 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.[72]
On April 17, 2018, the Buccaneers picked up the fifth-year option on Winston's contract.[73] On June 21, the NFL announced that he would be suspended for violating the league's personal conduct policy, regarding his latest incident where he allegedly groped a femaleUber driver. On June 28, the announcement was made official, giving Winston a three-game suspension to begin the 2018 season.[74]
After missing the first three games due to the suspension, Winston returned in Week 4 against theChicago Bears, but did not start. He replacedRyan Fitzpatrick in the third quarter, finishing with 145 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions as the Buccaneers lost 10–48.[75] In Week 6, against the Falcons, he had 395 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 34–29 loss.[76] In Week 8 against theCincinnati Bengals, Winston threw for 276 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions and he was benched in the third quarter for Fitzpatrick.[77] During Week 11 against theNew York Giants, Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions and was benched for Winston in the second half. Winston threw for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Buccaneers lost 38–35.[78] Two weeks later, in a 24–17 win over the Panthers, Winston completed 20 of 30 passing attempts for 249 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the franchise record for passing touchdowns in a career with 81.[79] Three weeks later, in a 27–20 loss to the Cowboys, Winston completed 34 of 48 passing attempts for 336 yards and one touchdown, breaking the franchise record for completions in a career previously held byJosh Freeman.[80][81] Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 2,992 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.[82]
Prior to the start of the season, head coachDirk Koetter was fired and replaced by former Cardinals head coachBruce Arians.[83][84] In Week 1, during a 31–17 loss to theSan Francisco 49ers, Winston broke the Buccaneers franchise record for passing yards in a career previously held byVinny Testaverde but finished with 194 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.[85][86] Following a lackluster first two weeks of the 2019 season, during a 32–31 loss to the Giants in Week 3, Winston passed for 380 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.[87] The following week, Winston passed for 385 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in a 55–40 win over theLos Angeles Rams. As a result of his performance, Winston was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[88]
During Week 6 against the Panthers atTottenham Hotspur Stadium, Winston became the first quarterback in Buccaneers franchise history to pass for 100 touchdowns in a career, but finished with 400 passing yards, one touchdown, a lost fumble, and a career-high five interceptions as the Buccaneers lost 37–26.[89] Two weeks later, in a 27–23 loss to the Titans, Winston broke another Buccaneers franchise record, previously held by Testaverde, for career passing attempts, but finished with 301 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and two lost fumbles.[90] The following week, in a 40–34 overtime loss to theSeattle Seahawks, Winston passed for 335 yards, two touchdowns, and lost a fumble.[91] In Week 10, during a 30–27 victory over the Cardinals, he had 358 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.[92] In the next against the Saints, Winston threw for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, as the Buccaneers lost 34–17.[93] In Week 12, during a 35–22 win against the Falcons, Winston passed for 313 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.[94] During Week 14 against theIndianapolis Colts, Winston finished with a then career-best 456 passing yards, five rushing yards, five total touchdowns, and three interceptions as the Buccaneers won 38–35. As a result of his performance, Winston broke the Buccaneers' single-season franchise record for passing yards that he set in 2016, becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for over 4,100 yards in a season.[95]
In Week 15, during a 38–17 win over the Lions, Winston finished with a career-best 458 passing yards, four rushing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception as he both became the first quarterback in NFL history to have consecutive games of 450 passing yards and broke the franchise record for passing touchdowns in a single season that he set in 2016, becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to throw 30 passing touchdowns in a single season.[96] In Week 16, during a 23–20 loss to theHouston Texans, Winston threw for 335 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.[97] In Week 17, during a 28–22 overtime loss to the Falcons, Winston threw for 201 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions including a game-ending one that was returned for a touchdown by linebackerDeion Jones. As a result, Winston became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season, the first Buccaneers quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season, and the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season.[98]
Winston finished his fifth year setting new career highs, leading the league inpassing yards, completions, and attempts to go along with new career highs in passing touchdowns but also leading the league in interceptions and total turnovers. He finished with 5,109 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, 30 interceptions, and five lost fumbles.[99] Winston's seven interceptions returned for touchdowns set an NFL record, and his 84.3 passer rating ranked 27th among starters.[100] Winston was also recognized for having his first and last pass as a Buccaneer returned for touchdowns.[101]
On February 28, 2020, it was revealed that Winston underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. It was also revealed that Winston hadLASIK surgery.[102] Furthermore, he was dealing with the knee injury and a broken thumb for the entire 2019 season.[103]
Winston was not re-signed by the Buccaneers in the offseason, as they opted to replace him with longtimeNew England Patriots quarterbackTom Brady.[104] Head coach Bruce Arians, while critical of Winston's frequent turnovers, nonetheless enjoyed their working relationship during their only season together, so Arians phoned up other teams to see if they would take Winston.[105][106]
On April 28, 2020, Winston signed a one-year contract with the Saints.[107] His contract had a value of $1.1 million including his base salary of $952,000 and a signing bonus of $148,000 with a possible $3.4 million in incentives.[108]
Winston made his first appearance of the 2020 season in Week 9 against his former team the Buccaneers onSunday Night Football in relief ofDrew Brees. Winston passed for 12 yards as the Saints beat the Bucs 38–3.[109] In Week 10 against the 49ers, Winston came in the second half after Brees left the game with a rib injury. Winston completed 6 of 10 passes for 63 yards as the Saints won 27–13.[110][111] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on December 20, 2020,[112] and activated four days later.[113]
In theDivisional Round of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston only appearance in the game was when he went into the lineup for a trick play and threw a 56-yard touchdown pass toTre'Quan Smith during the 30–20 loss.[114] The Buccaneers would eventually winSuper Bowl LV. This has so far been Winston's only playoff game.
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On March 15, 2021, the day after Drew Brees announced his retirement, Winston re-signed with the Saints on a one-year deal worth $12 million.[115] On August 27, 2021, Winston was named the starting quarterback for the Saints overTaysom Hill.[116] Making his first start for the Saints against theGreen Bay Packers, Winston threw for 147 yards and five touchdowns as the Saints won 38–3.[117] The following week against the Panthers, with multiple starters injured and seven coaches sidelined due toCOVID-19, Winston threw for 111 yards and 2 interceptions with no touchdowns in the 26–7 loss.[118] During Week 5 against theWashington Football Team, Winston and the Saints overcame two early turnovers to beat Washington 33–22, while throwing for 279 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, along with a fumble.[119]
In Week 8 against the Buccaneers, Winston had to leave the game in the second quarter due to a knee injury after beinghorse-collar tackled by Tampa Bay linebackerDevin White. He would be replaced byTrevor Siemian, who went on to win the game, 36–27.[120] The next day, it was revealed that Winston had suffered atorn ACL and hadMCL damage, ending his season.[121]
On March 21, 2022, Winston signed a two-year, $28 million contract extension with the Saints.[122] On September 18, it was reported that Winston suffered four fractures in his back in Week 1.[123] Winston played the first three games before being inactive in Weeks 4 and 5. After returning, Winston was named the second-string quarterback behind veteranAndy Dalton.[124]
On March 14, 2023, Winston re-signed with the Saints.[125] He appeared in seven games but only contributed significantly in two in the 2023 season. He passed for two touchdowns and three interceptions on the season.[126]
On March 20, 2024, Winston signed a one-year deal with theCleveland Browns.[127]
After starting quarterbackDeshaun Watson was ruled out for the season with an Achilles tear on October 20, Winston took over as the starter beginning in Week 8.[128] In his first start, Winston threw for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, including a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute left as he led Cleveland to a 29–24 upset victory over theBaltimore Ravens.[129] In Week 11 against the Saints, Winston threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 89-yard touchdown pass toJerry Jeudy as the Browns lost 35–14.[130] The following week against thePittsburgh Steelers, Winston scrambled for a two-yard touchdown to give Cleveland a 12-point lead in snowy conditions. The Browns squandered that lead after a pair of turnovers from Winston in the fourth quarter, but he rallied Cleveland to a game-winning drive with under a minute left to win 24–19.[131]
In Week 13 against theDenver Broncos, Winston set a Browns single-game record with 497 passing yards and four touchdowns, but his three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, doomed the Browns as they lost 41–32.[132] Winston was replaced byDorian Thompson-Robinson late in the second half of the Browns' Week 15 game against theKansas City Chiefs after throwing three interceptions in a 21–7 loss.[133] On December 17, head coachKevin Stefanski announced that Thompson-Robinson would be the starter in Week 16's matchup against theCincinnati Bengals. Prior to his benching, Winston threw for 2,121 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 picks. Eight of his interceptions occurred over his last three games, all losses.[134]
On March 31, 2025, Winston signed a two-year, $8 million deal with theNew York Giants.[135][136] Prior to the start of the Giants opening regular season game, Winston was named as the third-string quarterback behind starterRussell Wilson and rookieJaxson Dart.[137] On November 12, Winston was named the starting quarterback for the Giants' Week 11 matchup against theGreen Bay Packers after Dart had suffered a concussion and Wilson was demoted to third string.[138][139] In his first start in 11 months, Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards and threw one interception.[140] He also rushed for a 3 yard touchdown on aQuarterback sneak in the fourth quarter to give the Giants a 20–19 lead, but the Packers scored a touchdown on the next drive. Winston threw his lone interception with 36 seconds left in the game, and while the Giants defense forced a punt, he was then stripped-sacked byMicah Parsons for the final play of the game and Packers CBKeisean Nixon recovered the fumble as the Giants lost the game by the score of 27–20.[141] The following week against theDetroit Lions, Winston made 18 of 36 passes for 366 yards, including two touchdowns and one interception, while rushing 4 times for 13 yards.[142] He also caught a 33 yard touchdown pass from teammateGunner Olszewski on a trick play, making this Winston’s first receiving touchdown of his career.[143] Ultimately, the Giants lost in overtime 34–27 after he was sacked on fourth down.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2015 | TB | 16 | 16 | 6–10 | 312 | 535 | 58.3 | 4,042 | 7.6 | 68 | 22 | 15 | 84.2 | 54 | 213 | 3.9 | 21 | 6 | 27 | 190 | 6 | 2 |
| 2016 | TB | 16 | 16 | 9–7 | 345 | 567 | 60.8 | 4,090 | 7.2 | 45 | 28 | 18 | 86.1 | 53 | 165 | 3.1 | 14 | 1 | 35 | 239 | 10 | 6 |
| 2017 | TB | 13 | 13 | 3–10 | 282 | 442 | 63.8 | 3,504 | 7.9 | 70 | 19 | 11 | 92.2 | 33 | 135 | 4.1 | 17 | 1 | 33 | 207 | 15 | 7 |
| 2018 | TB | 11 | 9 | 3–6 | 244 | 378 | 64.6 | 2,992 | 7.9 | 64 | 19 | 14 | 90.2 | 49 | 281 | 5.7 | 18 | 1 | 27 | 157 | 7 | 3 |
| 2019 | TB | 16 | 16 | 7–9 | 380 | 626 | 60.7 | 5,109 | 8.2 | 71 | 33 | 30 | 84.3 | 59 | 250 | 4.2 | 26 | 1 | 47 | 282 | 12 | 5 |
| 2020 | NO | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 11 | 63.6 | 75 | 6.8 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 83.5 | 8 | −6 | −0.8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | NO | 7 | 7 | 5–2 | 95 | 161 | 59.0 | 1,170 | 7.3 | 72 | 14 | 3 | 102.8 | 32 | 166 | 5.2 | 20 | 1 | 11 | 69 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 | NO | 3 | 3 | 1–2 | 73 | 115 | 63.5 | 858 | 7.5 | 51 | 4 | 5 | 79.5 | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 74 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | NO | 7 | 0 | — | 25 | 47 | 53.2 | 264 | 5.6 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 57.4 | 5 | −6 | −1.2 | −1 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | CLE | 12 | 7 | 2–5 | 181 | 296 | 61.1 | 2,121 | 7.2 | 89 | 13 | 12 | 80.6 | 25 | 83 | 3.3 | 13 | 1 | 24 | 130 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | NYG | 3 | 2 | 0–2 | 37 | 66 | 56.1 | 567 | 8.6 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 82.1 | 7 | 23 | 3.3 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 108 | 89 | 36–53 | 1,981 | 3,244 | 61.1 | 24,792 | 7.6 | 89 | 156 | 113 | 86.4 | 330 | 1,320 | 4.0 | 26 | 13 | 222 | 1,383 | 61 | 27 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2020 | NO | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 56 | 56.0 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 158.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 0–0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 56 | 56.0 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 158.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Winston married his wife, Breion Allen, in a private ceremony held at their home on March 27, 2020.[164] They have two sons together.[165]
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On November 14, 2013, theState Attorney of theSecond Judicial Circuit announced they were opening an investigation into a sexual assault allegation involving Winston that was originally filed with theTallahassee Police Department (TPD) on December 7, 2012.[166] The complaint was originally investigated by the police and classified as open/inactive in February 2013 with no charges being filed.[167][168] The police report, containing the complainant's original statement, has been posted by the Tallahassee Police Department.[169] Tallahassee police stated that the complaint was made inactive "when the victim in the case broke off contact with TPD, and her attorney indicated she did not want to move forward at that time" and then re-examined after media requests for information started coming in early November.[170] On December 5, 2013, State Attorney Willie Meggs announced the completion of the investigation and that no charges would be filed against anyone in this case, citing "major issues" with the woman's testimony. Meggs stated that "As prosecutors, we only bring charges for cases where the evidence will result in a likely conviction at trial. In this case, the evidence does not show that."[171] Allegations of improper police conduct have been made by both parties, with the complainant claiming to have been pressured into dropping her claim and Winston's attorney alleging inappropriate leaks to the media. Florida State's policy is that athletes charged with a felony cannot play until their case is resolved, but Winston continued to play throughout the investigation because he was never charged.[172]
On April 16, 2014,The New York Times reported irregularities in the rape investigation involving Winston.[173][174] The complainant developed bruises and semen was found on her underwear.[175] 34 days later, the complainant identified Winston by name as her attacker.[175] Tallahassee police contacted Winston about 13 days later.[175] No DNA sample was taken from Winston until the prosecutor took over the case, months later;[175] once it was taken in November 2013, it was found to match DNA found in the complainant's underwear.[176] The investigation was conducted by Officer Scott Angulo, who, theTimes' article notes, did private security work for the Seminole Boosters, the primary financier of Florida State athletics.[175]
The official FSU hearing, presided over by retired Florida Supreme Court JusticeMajor B. Harding, on December 21, 2014, cleared Winston of violating the student conduct code in the sexual assault allegation.[177][178] An extract from Harding's decision[179] is below.
I do not find the credibility of one story substantially stronger than that of the other. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. I cannot find with any confidence that the events as set forth by you, (accuser), or a particular combination thereof is more probable than not as required to find you responsible for a violation of the Code. Therein lies the determinative factor of my decision.
The accuser filed a civil suit against Winston in April 2014 and Winston countersued her fordefamation andtortious interference in May 2014. In a September 2015 ruling, federal judgeAnne C. Conway dismissed Winston's tortious interference claim, but declined a motion to dismiss his claim for defamation. These civil claims were settled out of court in December 2016, four months before the case was scheduled to go to trial.[180][181][182]
In November 2015, Winston toldCNN that he was prepared to file suit if the network airedThe Hunting Ground, a documentary about college campus rape which includes disputed allegations about Winston.[183] CNN was undeterred and aired the documentary on November 22, 2015.[184]
In 2016, the university paid $950,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the same woman alleging a violation ofTitle IX by FSU in handling her complaint. The university also agreed to conduct five years of sexual awareness programs. It did not admit liability.[185]
In July 2013, aBurger King employee called police in July to complain that Winston was stealing soda. According to the police report, Winston came into the restaurant with three men, but did not order any food. An employee, who recognized him, first saw him using ketchup cups to take some soda. He asked for a water cup after she told him to stop, but he said he would use it for soda and filled it repeatedly with soda over her objections, the report said.[186] On April 29, 2014, Winston was issued anadult civil citation for shopliftingcrab legs from a TallahasseePublix store.[187] Winston was ordered to undergo 20 hours ofcommunity service, and was suspended from any college baseball activity until he completed his community service.
On September 17, 2014, Winston was suspended for the first half of Florida State's upcoming game against Clemson.The Guardian reported that "several students tweeted" that Winston shouted, "Fuck her right in the pussy!" anInternet meme,[188] while standing atop a table in Florida State University's Student Union.[189] Two days later, university presidentGarnett S. Stokes and athletic director Stan Wilcox, citing results of an "ongoing investigation", announced that Winston would be suspended for the whole game.[190]
On November 17, 2017, it was reported that the NFL conducted an investigation, where Winston allegedly groped a femaleUber driver in 2016.[191][192] Two days later, it was revealed thatRonald Darby, who also attended Florida State, was also on board during the ride in which this incident supposedly occurred. Darby has defended Winston against the allegations.[193] However, the investigation found evidence that Winston got into another Uber ride alone, which was consistent with the Uber driver's account, and concluded that Winston "violated the Personal Conduct Policy by touching the driver in aninappropriate and sexual manner without her consent".[194] The league announced on June 21 that it was suspending Winston for the first three games of the2018 season as a result of his involvement in the incident, which it carried through on June 28.[195][74]
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