Jameis Winston has all the raw talent necessary to be a solid starting NFL quarterback, but he just can’t seem to get out of his own way.
If you had said prior to the 2019 season Winston was going to throw for 30-plus touchdowns and over 5,100 yards, you likely would have assumed the Buccaneers were a lock for the playoffs. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, Winston’s 30 interceptions held the team back and prompted the franchise to not only enter but make the strongest push in the Tom Brady sweepstakes.
Winston now is a free agent, and while his inconsistency obviously is a red flag, the 26-year-old probably still is capable of being a positive addition to most teams. As far as potential landing spots, Mike Florio believes there’s one team out there that could help Winston refine his game.
“(Chris) Simms and I are all over the idea of the 49ers bringing in Jameis Winston because we both agree in Kyle Shanahan’s system, it’s very simplified, it’s very basic and you just go A, B, C, D through the steps of what Shanahan wants you to do,” Florio said on NBC Sports’ “PFT Overtime.” “There isn’t a whole lot of quarterback-independent thought in there. That may make it less likely that Jameis Winston has one of those moments where he almost has an out-of-body experience where he tries to do more than he’s physically capable of doing. So I think that makes a ton of sense.”
With limitations and restrictions currently aplenty in the NFL, it’s probably in Winston’s best interest to be patient in free agency, no matter how many suitors he might have. Considering an unconventional preseason likely awaits, more appealing jobs potentially could open up for Winston closer to the start of the season or a few weeks in.
In fact, Florio isn’t ruling out a potential return to Tampa Bay for Winston under these circumstances.
