Getty The Buccaneers could bring back one of their former QB's in Jameis Winston.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could bring back a familiar face as their next quarterback.
As the Buccaneers enter a new era with Tom Brady officially retired, they’ll have a scope of veteran options via trade and free agency. While bigger names will certainly pop up in Buccaneers trade rumors, such as Aaron Rodgers or Jimmy Garoppolo, Tampa Bay could go the free agency route instead.
And according to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, they could look to one of their former quarterbacks in Jameis Winston to fill that void.
“It’s easy to forget that 2015 No. 1 pick James Winston was once poised to be the next big thing,” says Knox. “The former Buccaneers quarterback was a rookie Pro Bowler who helped produce a winning record in his second season.
However, Winston’s arm talent and passing prowess were overshadowed by a lack of winning—he went 28-42 with the Buccaneers—and a glaring interception problem. With the New Orleans Saints in 2021, the 28-year-old was better on both counts.
Though he started only seven games before suffering a torn ACL, Winston was very good. He passed for 14 touchdowns with only three interceptions while posting a career-best 102.8 rating. The prolific numbers he put up with Tampa Bay weren’t there (he averaged 167.1 yards per game), though, because the supporting cast was underwhelming.
Michael Thomas didn’t play in 2021 following ankle surgery, and the Saints passing attack languished. Marquez Callaway led New Orleans with just 698 receiving yards, while the Saints ranked dead-last in passing.
With Sean Payton having stepped down as head coach and New Orleans projected to be $76.2 million over the cap, a quick turnaround probably isn’t in the cards.
A team with weapons but no surefire starting quarterback such as the Pittsburgh Steelers or even Buccaneers—if Tom Brady retires—could give Winston an opportunity to restart his career. And if he can combine the ball security he showed in 2021 with his earlier downfield lethality, Winston could break out as a franchise signal-caller.”
Winston Excelled in Game-Manager Role
Winston started at quarterback for the Saints in 2021, leading them to a 5-2 record — including a win over the Bucs — to start out the season. However, after Winston suffered a torn ACL, New Orleans saw a decline in their success, finishing the season with a 4-6 record while missing the postseason.
As Knox notes, Winston was having a tremendous season in a game-managing role. The veteran quarterback kept his interception rate at 1.9%, which would have ranked in the top 10 among all quarterbacks. Furthermore, his robust 8.7% touchdown rate would have led the league.
According to Pro Football Focus, Winston posted a 74.2 offensive grade this past season, ranking 18th among 37 qualifying quarterbacks. While that grade is rather average, it was Winston’s best grade of his career.
If the newly-improved Winston is throwing to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay again, that grade will only go up.
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Winston’s Rough Past With Bucs
Prior to his tenure with the Saints, Winston is best known for his time with the Buccaneers from 2015 until 2019. The 28-year-old was once the first overall draft pick and appeared to have a bright future ahead of him after being named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.
However, his knack for interceptions led to the end of his Bucs tenure. After throwing a league-high 30 interceptions in 2019, Tampa Bay moved on from Winston onto Brady.
Head coach Bruce Arians once publicly criticized his former quarterback at the conclusion of the 2019 season after he threw a game-ending pick-six in an overtime loss to the Atlanta Falons.
“It sure looked like [a bad decision],” he said. “[Winston] was covered. He’s throwing to his favorite guy but he’s covered. I think an overtime loss, giving the ball away for a touchdown. I can’t think of anything worse.”
Now in an ironic twist, the Bucs could move on from Brady back to Winston.