Jameis Winston has honest take about his benching

Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) before their game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston has essentially lost his starting job to Andy Dalton, and the New Orleans Saints quarterback is not doing much to hide his frustration with that.

Winston suggested that he felt like he had unfairly lost his job after missing time with back and foot injuries. The Saints quarterback, who has not played since Week 3, had assumed he would get his job back once healthy, but coach Dennis Allen chose to stick with Dalton instead.

“I lost my job due to injury and the policy has always been you don’t lose your job due to injury. And that’s what happened,” Winston said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.

Winston added that he would support Dalton and the offense, but made no secret of the fact that he was not happy with being benched.

“I wear that shirt that says ‘Big team, little me,’ even though it hurts my heart. It hurts my soul, the way things have turned out to be this year, but it is what it is,” Winston added.

The Saints signed Winston to a two-year deal in the offseason, but obviously did not have as much faith in him as that contract seemed to suggest. Dalton has not performed great, but the Saints clearly did not feel good about Winston after he threw five interceptions in his first three games. Even opponents knew turnovers were coming and could be taken advantage of.

At 3-7, the Saints are essentially playing out a lost season. It is quite clear that neither Dalton nor Winston is the answer at quarterback, though.