Ahead of their matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns named Jameis Winston their starting quarterback for the game. The Browns quarterback for the 2024 season had been Deshaun Watson, but he suffered an achilles injury (ruptured right achilles tendon) in Week 7, and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season. This game was heavily favored to be a Ravens victory, as this would be the first start for Winston since 2022 (September 25, 2022).
Luckily for the Browns, Winston would not let the odds deter his mentality for securing the Browns second victory of the season. Winston always puts on a show for the fans, and this Sunday was no different.
"Unwavering faith. Ultimate belief."
– @Browns QB Jameis Winston is letting his faith lead the way vs the Ravens | @Amanda_Balionis pic.twitter.com/gl5ymzN8aV
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 27, 2024
The Browns reached 20 points for the first time this season in their victory over the Ravens 29-24. Winston went 27/41 for 334 yards, throwing 3 TDS with no interceptions. This game was the 29th 300-yard game of Winston’s career, also setting him up to make history as having the most yards for a Cleveland Browns QB debut ever (334), surpassing Kelly Holcomb’s 326 yards in his 2002 debut.
This game can be used as motivation for the Browns, as just two weeks ago, their 1-5 record was the worst start to a season since 2017. Certainly with the Browns franchise’s tricky history with the quarterback position, Winston proved himself to be a bright spot in this trying time, leading the game winning drive with a 38-yard touchdown with 59 seconds left.
The Browns signed Winston to a one-year, $4 million (guaranteed) deal this offseason. Right now, this signing (with a max value of $8.7 million) looks to be a silver lining to a disappointing start for the Browns. With Watson out for the remainder of the season, Winston was named the starter for next week’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
With Winston now being the starter in Cleveland and with the massive upset win, it makes for some movement in Winston’s sports card market. On Sunday, the most expensive sale that took place was a 2015 Panini Contenders Rookie Autograph Cracked Ice Parallel/23 BGS 9.5/10 (POP 16), selling for $350 via Ebay auction. Despite this card once being a four-figure card, this sale does show an excitement for Winston’s market that hasn’t been there. The cracked-ice contenders rookie autographs used to be a premier card in the football market, and though with Prizm rookie cards taking that precedent now, collectors still chase after the allusive cracked-ice parallel as it’s limited to just twenty-three copies.
