Winston’s Woeful Era Is Over.

The era of Jameis Winston is over in Tampa. Once hailed as the savior of the Buccaneers franchise, he is now off to be a backup with a divisional rival, the New Orleans Saints. Watching quarterbacks depart this team after being drafted as the quarterback of the future is something that we have grown accustomed to in Tampa. So, after five seasons, we say farewell to the inconsistent but enthralling Jameis Winston.

Since 1976, the Bucs have drafted Doug Williams, Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, and Josh Freeman in the first round of the NFL Draft, and Steve Young was the overall first pick during 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players. Winston joined that exclusive group of quarterbacks five years ago and expectations were high after helping guide Florida State to their third national title. Hopes were high that Winston could make the team competitive and successful as it was during Doug William’s era. But alas, Winston joined the likes of Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, Josh Freeman and Steve Young in not being the long-term solution thanks to his numerous turnovers and his costly poor decision making that resulted in zero playoff appearances and just one winning season.

Winston leaves the Bucs as their all-time passing leader with 121 Touchdowns and 19,737 passing yards that included throwing for over 5,000 yards with 30 Touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his final season. Without a doubt, Jameis Winston is a great talent, but he has also shown that he is not a great player. Perhaps joining the Saints will help him improve as a quarterback with the likes of Sean Payton and Drew Brees mentoring him, but he is no longer our concern in Tampa Bay.

Perhaps Winston’s career would have turned out differently if he had been drafted by another team coached by someone such as Andy Reid or by a successful team that wouldn’t expect Winston to carry the burden all on his own. Former NBA player Jalen Rose discussed in his autobiography the role of luck and fate regarding a professional athlete’s chances in the NBA. In his own words, Rose stated that “Get put in the right situation, with the right coaching and support around you, and it can do unspoken wonders for your career.”

Jalen Rose’s statement is true in any sport. Steve Young was a disaster with the Bucs but became an NFL great after joining the 49’ers under the tutelage of the genius Bill Walsh. Would Tom Brady have been as successful if he was drafted by the Chicago Bears instead of the Patriots or would Michael Jordan be the great one had he not had Phil Jackson as his coach or was drafted by the Clippers instead of the Bulls? Joe Montana was a third-round pick and had Bill Walsh as his coach and the rest is history.

Winston’s departure is rather unfortunate because Bucs fans are tired of disappointments and embracing yet another new project. Fortunately, the arrival of Tom Brady immediately made Bucs fans overjoyed and thinking ahead to a positive future, once the COVID-19 pandemic issues have been resolved of course. As for Winston, time will tell if he improves as a quarterback following his stint with the Saints or will he forever be classified as a great talent that could never become a great player.