Jameis Winston Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Jameis Winston is set to become a free agent in March, but it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to leave the city of New Orleans if he is given the choice.

During an interview with WDSU at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Jameis Winston expressed his love for the city and his desire to stay “forever.

However, Winston also acknowledged that he’s going to take whatever opportunity is best for him.

“I would love to stay in NOLA forever,” Winston said. “But whatever the Lord has planned for me, I’m going to go and do my best, wherever that is. Hopefully it’s here, because I love this, I love the energy, and I love this city.”

If Winston does remain in New Orleans, it would likely be as a backup quarterback as the team returns starting quarterback Derek Carr next season.

Winston has continually made it clear that he believes he can be a starting quarterback in the league if given the opportunity. We’ll have to see whether or not he decides to stay in the city that he loves as a backup quarterback or pursue a starting role with a different team elsewhere.

[WDSU]