New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston has made a whole lot of enemies over the years.
He’s been accused of doing some horrific things in the past, but for what it’s worth, it seems like he has matured over the years … Whether that’s true or not, that’s the perception among most people.
However, he took yet another massive hit in many people’s eyes this past weekend with the stunt he pulled against the Atlanta Falcons.
Dennis Allen: Let’s go out and take a knee guys
Jameis Winston: pic.twitter.com/f91gNbfVoN
— 5⚜️4 Ralph Lauren (@504Tru) January 8, 2024
No one was more upset than Falcons head coach Artie Smith – who has since been fired…
Holy shit… ARTIE SMITH pic.twitter.com/ALSnRmVSAi
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 7, 2024
No one is a bigger “if you don’t like it, then stop it” guy than me … But this was obviously a much different situation.
It’s one thing if you line up and run a REAL play to try and get Jamaal Williams a touchdown. However, to line up in victory formation to trick the defense into thinking that you’re taking a knee, only to blast forward and score a cheap touchdown is cowardly.
How would Winston and the Saints like it if the Falcons defense dove at their knees while they wearing taking a game-ending knee in victory formation (like Greg Schiano’s Buccaneers did against the Giants years ago)???
Remember when Tampa tried to take out knees? Greg Schiano a real class act. pic.twitter.com/LKqxGt2mtV
— Coach TJ (@TjZforcegmen) January 9, 2024
The real miracle of the situation was that there wasn’t an all-out brawl when this happened … That says a whole lot about the Falcons defenders that were on the field.
Winston admitted that he ignored head coach Dennis Allen’s orders to take a knee and seemed quite proud about it.
jameis winston when he got the playcall to take a knee pic.twitter.com/0CPLE2U9Qj
— 🆎 (@theABinKC) January 10, 2024
Needless to say, most people were furious with Winston’s cowardly decision – and you can put Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe at the top of that list.
Appearing on ESPN’s “First Take,” Sharpe did not mince his words…
“It makes Dennis Allen look like he lost control of that locker room. But I’ll say this: I would cut Jameis Winston today,” he said.
"I would cut Jameis Winston today."@ShannonSharpe reacts to the Saints scoring a touchdown at the end of the game vs. the Falcons. pic.twitter.com/efZt6Ezmmp
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 8, 2024
“I would not want him on my team. That’s a loser’s mentality. If you want to run the ball, let the defense line up. Don’t you fool them, thinking it’s a victory formation, then drive off the ball,” Sharpe continued.
“That’s why they didn’t win in Tampa. That’s why Tom Brady came there, took the same team, and went to the Super Bowl,” he added.
“There’s a mentality that you have to have if you want to play football. Jameis Winston has a loser’s mentality,” he reiterated.
.@shannonsharpe was NOT a fan Jameis Winston going rogue against the Falcons yesterday 😳 pic.twitter.com/2x6n8VXfrl
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) January 8, 2024
What are your thoughts on Winston’s cowardly decision to overrule Allen and embarrass the Falcons defense?
Do you agree with Sharpe that Winston has a “loser mentality?”
Will Winston ever be a (real) starting quarterback in the NFL again???