New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston was off to a fantastic start in the 2021 season before tearing his ACL. While he will return as the starter in Week 1, there are still concerns about just how healthy the 28-year-old is heading into the regular-season opener.

Things looked promising heading towards November 2012 for New Orleans. The team held a 4-2 record with an opportunity to take down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, Winston went down awkwardly in the Week 8 matchup and was diagnosed with a torn ACL.

  • Jameis Winston stats (2021): 1,170 passing yards, 14-3 TD-INT ratio, 7.3 ypa, 102.8 QB rating

The season unraveled, with New Orleans ending the 2021 campaign with a 9-8 record following a 5-2 start. While multiple changes were made to the roster, Winston returned as the Saints’ quarterback. More than eight months removed from the devastating knee injury, Winston is set to start in Week 1 but there are some concerns as of now.

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Previewing the NFC South on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast, Yahoo Sports’ NFL insider Charles Robinson shed light on the level of concern with Winston as he recovers from the torn ACL.

“I say this, having had conversations, I question how healthy Jameis is. I think there is some worry in the organization, not worry, but they’re going to be very cautious about his knee.