The final six games of the 2024 season are like auditions for the 14 players on the Browns’ roster who will be free agents in March. Right at the top of the list is quarterback Jameis Winston. Winston signed a one-year deal in March of this year to back up Deshaun Watson after the Browns chose not to re-sign Joe Flacco, who was signed in late November 2023 to finish out the season and then won four straight games in December to lead the drive to the playoffs. The decision to not bring back Flacco, 39 years old, angered fans and drew criticism from the Cleveland media. Flacco wanted to re-sign with the Browns because he liked the organization and the Cleveland community. He ended up signing with the Colts two days after the Browns signed Winston. Jameis Winston says the fans have embraced him and he would like to return to the #Browns next season because he has also embraced the Cleveland community. pic.twitter.com/MkYbuZUBM2 — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) November 27, 2024 Now Winston is singing the same song Flacco sang. The 30-year-old quarterback, selected by the Buccaneers with the first pick of the 2015 draft, is 2-2 as a starter since replacing the injured Watson (ruptured right Achilles tendon) for the 3-8 Browns. “Of course,” Winston said when asked if he’d like to re-sign with the Browns. “When I think about my family, I think about moving my kids, my wife having to find new friends. “I think anytime you’re able to solidify a role in a place and play good at that place, you like to be home. However, that’s out of my control. My focus is on, ‘One play at a time,’ and just stacking it up day after day after day.” Until now, home for Winston was Bessemen, Alabama, where he was born, Tallahassee, Fla. where he played college ball at Florida State, Tampa Bay when he played for the Buccaneers and New Orleans when he played for the Saints. Living in a place where the temperature was 30 degrees the day after Thanksgiving and winter snow is common is a new concept for Winston. But he is fine with it. “I’ve truly embraced this city,” Winston said. “I love the hard-nosed. I love the beautiful trees, three months out of the year. I’m grateful for the fans challenging me. I’m grateful for the fans lifting me up. I’m grateful for you all (reporters) challenging me and lifting me up, man. It’s a process that I really take to heart because I feel like all of us are in this together, and that’s just how I approach it.” Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy casts a vote for the #Browns to re-sign Jameis Winston for next season. pic.twitter.com/Htjhq4zmZ1 — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) November 29, 2024 It is very unlikely the Browns will go into 2025 with Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe (he would be a restricted free agent) as their only quarterbacks. Even if they draft a quarterback in the first round, they will likely sign a veteran, especially since there is no guarantee Watson will be ready to start the season in September. Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Drew Lock, Flacco, Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett and Mac Jones are among the veterans in addition to Winston that will be unrestricted free agents when the 2025 league year begins. Kevin Stefanski a day after the Browns beat the Steelers last week was asked about re-signing Winston and gave a predictable answer: “Obviously, I’m not there at all. I’m focused on what happened yesterday so we can talk to the players about that and make corrections and those types of things and then I’ll focus on Denver, but not really thinking about anything past that.” Count wide receiver Jerry Jeudy among the Browns’ players who would like to see Winston back for another year. Jeudy is signed through 2027. He has 24 catches for 349 yards and a touchdown in Winston’s four starts. “Jameis is a great quarterback,” Jeudy said. “Just his energy in the locker room, on the field, I just feel like that’s the type of guy you just need around. That’s the type of guy that just motivates everybody around him and keeps everybody on the right track. That’s the type of player you need on the team.” Star running back Nick Chubb is also in Winston’s corner. “He has a huge impact,” Chubb said. “He loves football. That rubs off on all of us — the energy and passion he brings every day — and we appreciate that.” Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, like Stefanski, is focused on the Broncos, but Dorsey praised Winston when asked about how Winston has played since taking over from Watson. “I think that stuff is just going to take care of itself in the offseason and everything,” Dorsey said. “I think the more reps you get as you go, the better off you’re going to be and you’ll continue to grow as a player. “So I think no matter what the situation is, we’re just going to continue to focus on our jobs this week and Jameis will continue to grow as a player, whether it’s this week, next week or in the offseason, whatever that situation is.” If the Browns win at least four of their last six games and Winston starts them all, he will post his most victories since 2019 when he was 7-9 as a starter with the Buccaneers. That was the season in which he threw 33 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions. He has thrown seven touchdown passes and four picks this season with the Browns. Browns at Broncos When: 8:15 p.m., Dec. 2 Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver Records: Browns 3-8, Broncos 7-5 TV: ESPN (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman announcing) Radio: WNCX-FM 98.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 (Andrew Siciliano and Nathan Zegura announcing)