Colts nearly went into desperation mode to try and sign Jameis Winston

Before pulling off the trade to land Matt Ryan from Atlanta, the Indianapolis Colts were hoping to sign Jameis Winston. 

There’s been so much movement with quarterbacks this offseason it’s almost hard to keep track. In the end, Jameis Winston ended up re-signing with the New Orleans Saints, but it looks like the Indianapolis Colts were eyeing him as well.

According to Saints insider Nick Underhill, the Colts were ready to send a private jet for Winston to bring him in on a visit. Instead, Winston decided New Orleans is the place he wants to call home for the next two seasons.

The Colts traded for Atlanta Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan

That update from Underhill shows just how serious the Colts were in potentially making Winston the team’s starting quarterback. In the end, Winston decided to stay in town with the Saints, while the Colts surprised everyone in trading for Matt Ryan.

That Ryan trade felt like it came out of nowhere for the Colts, but fans are excited about what the veteran can do in the AFC South. Things didn’t go as planned last year with Carson Wentz, as the former first-round pick disappointed in 2021. Indy decided to move on from Wentz, trading him to the Washington Commanders.

Going from Wentz to Ryan is quite the upgrade, but there’s also going to be plenty of people who will be left wondering what could have been if Winston would have signed with the Colts over New Orleans.

Despite that, Ryan is already in Indianapolis and he’s excited for this next chapter of his career after so many great memories with Atlanta. With Winston, he’ll be ready to bounce back after suffering his torn ACL last season going up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.