New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston passes during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2021, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton

The New Orleans Saints have their quarterback on the field for Organized Team Activity practices, although Jameis Winston won’t be doing any wind sprints during the NFL team’s offseason program.

Winston got off to a good start in his first season as the Saints’ starting QB. Seven games into the 2021 campaign, Winston had 14 touchdown passes to three interceptions and the Saints sat at 5-2.

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But the former Hueytown High School star didn’t play again last season. Winston sustained a knee injury in New Orleans’ 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 31. The Saints lost their next five games and missed the playoffs.

Winston said recovering from the torn meniscus has been more troublesome than the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments that were damaged, but he has started running “on the books” and is working at practice with his teammates.

“Drops are at full speed right now,” Winston said on Thursday. “Still progressing just into running. But like I said, I’m more just taking advantage of every opportunity I can get. I’m happy I can take full-speed reps with passing. Not rolling out and stuff yet, so everything’s going great.”

Winston has been wearing a knee brace during practice and plans to continue using it during the 2022 season.

“Right now, the brace is mandatory for being out there on the field, just for the beginning process,” Winston said. “I am going to be wearing the brace in the season. I think everyone does that after an ACL, especially at the quarterback position. There’s nothing limiting, there’s nothing that really bothers you from that perspective, so I’m commanding the brace now.”

The Saints held three OTA practices last week and have seven more plus a three-day mandatory minicamp left in their offseason program.

“I think he’s looked good,” New Orleans coach Dennis Allen said. “I think he’s made a lot of progress. We’ve still got a ways to go to get him ready, but we like the progress he’s making, we like where he’s at and, hopefully, that’ll continue. …

“With the way that he works and how hard he works, it doesn’t surprise me. I think we got to continue to be smart with that, which I think we are. We’re going to continue to push to get him better, but yet try to be smart about it.”

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After being off the field for so long, Winston said he’s “excited and grateful” to be back at practice even in a limited capacity.

“Every time I get an opportunity to step on the field and work with my teammates, I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity,” Winston said, “and I’m grateful that I get a chance to do that. …

“The mindset of just being in the building with my teammates, I think that’s so important. Like I said, last season I missed that. Seven weeks in the building, it was OK. But having a whole season, finishing -- I couldn’t wait to get back around the guys and be in team activities and just work.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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