The Jameis Winston Show has been canceled.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced he was benching Winston as the starting quarterback, instead electing to start Dorian Thompson-Robinson in his place.
Winston, 30, has been a wild ride to watch while starting for Cleveland.
It included throwing for 497 yards and four touchdowns on Dec. 2 against a top-ranked Broncos defense that also forced three interceptions, including two pick-sixes.
Jameis Winston is no longer the starter for the Cleveland Browns.Getty Images
After the game, Winston said he was “Just praying for the lord to deliver us from these pick sixes.”
Winston was benched last week during a terrible performance against the Chiefs, where he threw three interceptions and threw for 146 yards on 26 pass attempts.
Thompson-Robinson has seen sporadic playing time in his time with the Browns, jumping in for Deshaun Watson on Oct. 20 after the veteran tore his Achilles against the same Bengals.
He struggled mightily in that game, completing just 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions.
Thompson-Robinson was pulled from that game with an injury and Winston took over, completing five of 11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
In the three games he started last year as a rookie, Thompson-Robinson threw one touchdown and five interceptions for 420 yards.
The Browns went 1-2 in those three games.
Winston, who is in a contract year with the Browns, figures to have a suitor or two in free agency given his performance as a spark plug for a floundering Browns squad.
Jameis Winston had an up down time as starter.Getty Images
He led them to victories over the Ravens and Steelers but lost his other five starts as the Browns navigated a challenging part of their schedule.
“He’s been coaching for a long time and whatever he decides, I trust it,” Winston said of Stefanski’s decision after the loss to Kansas City, according to Cleveland.com.
“I know what I’m capable of doing. But throughout the course of the season, especially the last few games where we have not had a game without a turnover, that’s very critical. That’s going to be critical in his decision-making process. I’m just going to continue to get better.”
Thompson-Robinson, who starred at UCLA before being selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, profiles as a solid run-first option for Cleveland as it potentially looks to get its ground game rolling against a poor Bengals defense.
