Browns QB Jameis Winston hit with ultimate disrespect in latest ranking

Joe Flacco proved to be the best backup quarterback in the league last season when he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. In just five starts for the Cleveland Browns, he threw for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns while leading them to a 4-1 start.

As good as he was, the Browns believe they upgraded when they signed Jameis Winston this offseason. Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has had his share of ups and downs but he's still capable of putting up yardage in a hurry.

Winston even led the league in passing yards with 5,109 the last time he was a starter. Since then, he proved to be a valuable backup for the Saints, going 6-4 with 2,367 yards and a 20-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Despite this, he's somehow ranked below Jimmy Garoppolo in a backup QB ranking from Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Network.

Jimmy G was once a decent starter for the San Francisco 49ers but it's clear he was aided by Kyle Shanahan — who also has Brock Purdy looking like a superstar. In his lone season as a starter without Shanahan devising the game plan, Garoppolo threw seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was eventually replaced by Aidan O'Connell and later it was discovered that Davante Adams didn't want to continue trying to catch passes from Garoppolo.

That's nothing new either. Even when he was starting for the 49ers, Jimmy G was known for struggling with inaccurate passes and found himself being bailed out often by the talent around him.

AFC North loaded with backup QBs

An interesting side note in this ranking is the presence of three AFC North teams. Justin Fields is No. 1 as the Pittsburgh Steelers backup. Jake Browning of the Cincinnati Bengals is fourth, behind Winston.

Fields was a starter for the Chicago Bears the past three seasons and had a strong campaign in 2023 before being traded. Browning replaced an injured Joe Burrow and led the Bengals to a 4-3 record in his seven starts.

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