Imagine if I had told you a year ago that a 25-year-old quarterback would lead the NFL with 5,109 passing yards. Not only that, but this same young player would toss 33 touchdown passes (second-most) while posting back-to-back games with over 450 passing yards and four scores. Not only that, but this signal caller was also a former first overall selection in the NFL Draft.
Now, what if I had followed all that up by stating that this player would reach unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the season? At only 26, with that pedigree, and coming off a season like that, he’d surely be in line for a mega-contract paying out no less than $35 million per season with a pile of guaranteed money coming his way, right?
Wrong.
The man we’re discussing is, of course, Jameis Winston, and not only has he not received a lucrative contract to be the face of a franchise, but more than two weeks after the legal tampering window signaled the start of 2020 NFL free agency, he remains on the market with seemingly very few interested potential suitors. But why?
Why Is Jameis Winston Still on the Market?
Certainly, the most logical answer is his propensity for turnovers. In spite of all his production last season, Jameis Winston became the first player to toss 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season and his 35 total giveaways led the league. In fact, he has committed 111 turnovers in 72 career games as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which leads the league over the duration of his career.
Clearly, that has been a big issue with his game, and something that has scared plenty of teams off. Over the last two weeks of the 2019 campaign, Winston struggled mightily with six interceptions against only thee touchdown passes in back-to-back losses, and that seemed to be the point at which Bucs head coach Bruce Arians decided he’d had enough.
During the off-season, Arians wasn’t shy about discussing his plan to keep his options open at the quarterback position, openly expressing interest in long-tenured stars like Tom Brady and to a lesser extent, Philip Rivers. It seemed apparent that Winston would only be back in Tampa if the Bucs whiffed on some of their preferred options and that made a reunion seem highly improbable.
A Lack of Options
The situation came to a head on March 17th when news emerged that Tampa Bay and had agreed to a deal with Brady, which clearly left Winston out of the equation. At the same time, teams around the league were rapidly addressing their quarterback needs and there was nary a mention of Winston’s name.
Drew Brees agreed to a remain in New Orleans. That was no surprise. The Tennessee Titans awarded Ryan Tannehill a lucrative new deal, and that was understandable as well, given his incredible performance during the team’s unlikely run to the AFC Championship game. Rivers signing with the Indianapolis Colts also made sense, given his familiarity with head coach Frank Reich and his previous success in his system.
But other quarterbacks with a lesser track record than Winston started getting better opportunities as well, and that was a bit of a surprise. Teddy Bridgewater signed a nice deal with the Carolina Panthers, which ultimately led to the team releasing Cam Newton. Marcus Mariota, the man selected one pick after Winston in the 2015 NFL draft, signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, and may end up competing with Derek Carr rather than merely backing him up.
Case Keenum inked a deal with the Cleveland Browns to serve as Baker Mayfield‘s understudy, and in a mild surprise, the Chicago Bears acquired Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving the former Super Bowl champion a strong chance of unseating Mitchell Trubisky as the team’s starter.
A Stunning Situation
That’s a rather complex game of quarterback musical chairs and currently it leaves Winston and Newton, both former Hesiman Trophy winners, National Champions, and number one overall picks, out in the cold. Newton’s current lack of a contract is slightly more understandable since he wasn’t released until the week after free agency opened and has missed 16 of his last 32 NFL contests, but frankly, both situations are baffling.
Winston’s in particular, makes little sense. Yes, he’s struggled with turnovers and inconsistencies, but he’s also flashed the sort of upside that NFL franchises typically salivate over. At 26, he’s still dripping with potential and it’s absolutely stunning that there hasn’t been a coach eager to try his hand at developing him further. On top of all this, Winston, who has historically struggled with vision issues, had LASIK surgery to correct the problem in the off-season. There’s no guarantee that will help him cut down on giveaways, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Without knowing what Winston’s contract expectations are, it’s hard to understand why he’s remained on the market for so long, but a fairly strong quarterback draft class on the horizon likely isn’t helping him. With Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert all expected to come off the board during the first half of round one and other players like Jordan Love, Jacob Eason, Jake Fromm, and Jalen Hurts all offering upside, teams might be inclined to ride it out and see what their options are when draft day rolls around.
What’s Next for Jameis Winston?
At this moment, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers, two teams that appear to have a need at quarterback, don’t seem ready to make any moves to address the position and the former may not be particular interested in Winston at this point. It’s a frustrating situation for a player who, despite all the ups and downs, clearly still has his best football ahead of him.
Right now, Jameis Winston faces an uncertain NFL future. While there’s little doubt he will eventually find a new home, the lack of opportunity he has received has been truly baffling. While this waiting game is frustrating, if he finds himself in the right situation with the right franchise, he still has a bright NFL future in front of him.
Very few NFL passers possess the raw talent he does and players at his age, with his ability and history of past production, are a rarity. No one knows how this saga will end, but Winston should certainly have another opportunity sooner than later. It will be up to him to make the most of it and prove his doubters wrong.
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