Jarvis Landry says Jameis Winston drew him to Saints

Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver and five-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints in free agency this offseason.

One big reason he chose the Saints? Quarterback Jameis Winston.

“He’s a leader, man. He’s … one of the reasons why I came here,” Landry told The Athletic. “Just the conversations that we had, the intent that he’s putting behind the things that he’s saying. 

“Obviously, out here on the field, what you see is what you get. Look, I don’t see nobody else out here. This guy is the last one. That’s who he is. That’s something that you want at that position and a part of your team.”

Winston missed the final 10 games of the 2021-22 campaign with a torn ACL, but the Saints expect him to be ready to take the field this fall. He threw for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games before his injury.

Winston earned a two-year extension from the Saints after going 5-2 as the starter, and Landry is ready to go on the journey alongside his new QB.

The addition of Landry provides a much-needed boost to New Orleans’ struggling wide receiving corps that had just one wideout play in all 17 regular-season games last year — undrafted receiver Marquez Callaway. What’s more, New Orleans finished last in the NFL in passing yards in 2021.

The 29-year-old Landry is set to join superstar receiver Michael Thomas, who was out the entire season with an ankle injury, and former Ohio State speedster Chris Olave, who the Saints moved up to snag with their 11th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Landry, a Convent, Louisiana native and LSU alum, returns to his hometown after spending the past four seasons with the Browns, who released him before the start of free agency after the two sides couldn’t agree on a restructured deal. New Orleans is Landry’s third team. In addition to his time in Cleveland, Landry also spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Landry has caught 688 passes for 7,598 yards and 37 touchdowns in his eight seasons. He battled a knee sprain that he suffered early last season that kept him out for five weeks, finishing with 52 catches for 570 yards — both career lows — before his release.