To say that the play of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has been inconsistent would be an understatement. For Buccaneers fans, it’s been more like the world’s tallest rollercoaster.
Winston followed a three-interception, two-fumble dud in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers with four consecutive games with a quarterback rating over 100. Then came the five-interception game against the Carolina Panthers in London followed by a four-turnover outing against the Tennessee Titans. Next, he was up against Seattle. Then, down against Arizona and New Orleans. He’s coming off of good games against Atlanta and Jacksonville. Usually, this is where the next big drop comes.
The polarizing debate over whether Winston will be the Buccaneers’ quarterback of the future has been raging on social media for the better part of the season with most fans firmly entrenched on one side or the other.
As it turns out, that same debate still appears to be occurring inside One Buc Place as well. Following his strong performance in Jacksonville, head coach Bruce Arians was asked if he would recommend Winston returning in 2020 to ownership:
#GoBucs Bruce Arians on whether he would recommend to owners that Jameis Winston return for 2020: "I'm going to pass on that one. I'm going to wait until the end of December. There's been really, really good and there's been some really, really bad…''
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) December 4, 2019
ESPN’s Buccaneers beat writer Jenna Laine’s sources have confirmed the same sentiment pervades within the organization as well:
This echoes what I’ve heard from sources within the Bucs organization — they are undecided about Winston. https://t.co/A9dDnDUVWp
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) December 4, 2019
Information like this tends not to become public unless a team wants to send a message. The Buccaneers’ ownership, front office, and coaching staff want Winston to know he will be playing for his job over the final quarter of the season. They want to see how he responds to the pressure.
The team’s remaining schedule is favorable for a strong finish. Tampa Bay has three remaining home games against the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, and Atlanta Falcons with a lone road trip against the Detroit Lions.
At this point, things could go either way for Winston and the organization. A strong finish may result in a franchise tag or even a multi-year extension while another five-turnover implosion could spell the end of Winston’s career as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Stay tuned.
