For the fourth consecutive season, the Saints will have to start multiple players at the quarterback position. Their normal starter, Jameis Winston, was injured Sunday against the Buccaneers and will be out for a while.
Winston got hurt on a play early in the second quarter. He was dragged to the ground on a horse-collar tackle by Devin White, and as he came down, Winston's leg bent awkwardly.
Jameis Winston's injury... This sucks man! pic.twitter.com/3JfI12l4xE
— ✯✯✯✯✯ (@FTBVids_YT) October 31, 2021
Winston initially tried to walk off the field but after taking a few steps, he had to go to the ground. He was eventually helped to the sideline and taken back to the locker room in a cart.
The early prognosis for Winston's injured knee did not seem good, as Saints coach Sean Payton indicated in his postgame news conference.
"I think it's significant," Payton said to reporters. "He felt something. He's on crutches right now. I don't wanna say until I have a chance to talk with the doctors, but when he got up and had to go back down, you were a little concerned."
Indeed, it was significant, and Winston has a torn ACL and damage to his MCL. Here's everything to know about Winston's injury and what it means for the Saints.
MORE: NFL's highest-paid players for 2021
How long is Jameis Winston out?
Winston is set to miss the remainder of the season for the Saints with an ACL tear and additional damage to the MCL.
The Saints' quarterback hadn't missed a start because of injury since 2017. Winston was suspended and benched for parts of the 2018 season, played all 16 games in 2019 and served as Drew Brees' backup in 2020. He started seven games before his latest injury.
The timeline for recovery from a torn ACL is usually eight to 10 months, according to UCHealth.com, so Winston's injury may affect him in the early stages of next season. It depends on the severity of it and the damage to his MCL.
MORE: Marshawn Lynch's hilarious interview during Manningcast
What is Jameis Winston's injury?
Winston is dealing with a torn ACL and damage to his MCL, per Saints coach Sean Payton. He also called the injury "a classic field turf injury" in a new conference Monday.
"I don't think that happens on grass," Payton said, per ESPN. "I know right now the data says a player is 28 percent more likely to have a player injured when we play on artificial surfaces, and I think this was one of those cases."
MORE: Why the Saints traded for RB Mark Ingram
Jameis Winston injury timeline
Oct. 31 — Winston suffers an apparent leg injury against the Buccaneers. He is carted to the locker room and ruled out of the game after halftime.
Oct. 31 — Payton gives a postgame update on Winston's condition and says, "I think it's significant."
Nov. 1 — Payton and the Saints confirm that Winston has suffered a torn ACL and additional damage to his MCL. Payton confirms Winston will be out for the season.
