It looks as if James Winston has crossed another hurdle in his recovery from an AFC Champions League rupture he suffered last season. The New Orleans Saints quarterback recently posted a video to his social media channels that showed him throwing without a brace on his surgically repaired left knee.
Winston was previously seen wearing a brace on that knee during organized New Orleans team and mini camp activities earlier this season. The 28-year-old tore his ACL and damaged his MCL in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That injury forced him to undergo surgery at the end of the season.
Just eight months after that injury, Winston appears to be taking the proper steps to be New Orleans’ starter to start the year.
Prior to this injury, Winston was playing well. The Saints were 5-2 in his seven starts, the signal caller had a pass rating of 102.8 (which would have been career best for an entire season), and threw 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions. While New Orleans was flirting with a potential Deshaun Watson this season, the Saints returned to Winston and re-signed him for a two-year, $28 million extension in late March. This financial commitment was also a clear indication that the team was optimistic about where Winston was in his recovery period.
Winston also told the NFL Network in May that he expects to be ready to go when the Saints open the 2022 regular season against the Falcons in September.
“We’re taking this process slowly,” Winston said via NFL.com. “It’s about getting better every day. I accept that, and I’m excited to be able to talk about football and keep moving forward.”
The next mark, Winston, will participate in the bootcamp, which opens in New Orleans on July 26.
