Connor McIntyre | June 15th, 2019
Dear Jameis Winston,
This is a make or break year for you. This is the last year on your contract and you haven’t shown much in the last two years that would make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to keep you and your off the field issues. You got replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick for a brief time last year even after your three-game suspension was finished. The Buccaneers picked up your fifth-year option for some reason and you’re still on the team somehow. I’m still hoping you can turn your career around, but that doesn’t seem like it has a good possibility of happening.
When you were drafted first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, I honestly wasn’t expecting much and thought that you would be a bust. Between the off the field issues, being on the Buccaneers, and the pressure of being the first overall pick, I didn’t see it working out. You surprised me, though, by putting up record numbers in your rookie season. You had 4,042 passing yards, completed 312 of 535 passes for a 58.3 completion percentage and 22 touchdowns compared to 15 interceptions. You added to that by winning the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award. I thought to myself “Wow, I was wrong about you”. Your second season went just as well and I honestly was becoming a fan. You had similar statistics to your first season but there was one area that was different. That area was fumbles. In your first year, you had six fumbles and lost two of them. Not great stats, but you were a rookie and some issues were expected. In your second season, however, you had ten fumbles and you lost six of them. Little did I know, this would only get worse. In your third season, you had fifteen fumbles and lost seven of them. You also threw more three more interceptions in your second season than in your first season. In your third season, you had 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and last season, you had 19 touchdowns again, but 14 interceptions. You’re turning the ball over too much and it’s getting worse.
You also have only put up one winning record in your four years with the Buccaneers and haven’t played a full season since 2016. Your one winning record was also nine and seven, barely enough to be a winning record. You haven’t led the Buccaneers to a playoff game either. There were high hopes for you, and many people were expecting more than one winning season and two full seasons in your first four years. You had weapons like DeSean Jackson, Doug Martin, and Adam Humphries that have since left. You still have weapons with Mike Evans and O.J. Howard and some younger players as well. The Buccaneers are no longer a terrible team and have good weapons on their roster. If you play a full season, with few turnovers and don’t have any issues off the field, you may be able to save your career with the Buccaneers. You can do it, it’s just going to be difficult and you’ll have to be careful with your turnovers, but you’ve shown you have the ability to be successful in the NFL. I’m still a fan, and the Buccaneers fan base and I want to see you succeed and make the playoffs. Good luck with your upcoming season.
Sincerely,
Connor M.
Read my other Last Day Letters: Dave Gettleman|Baker Mayfield|
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