While there are still a couple of days before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off against the Detroit Lions, Jameis Winston is still working hard to ensure his fitness will be back 100% for the game. He's taking measures to ensure his full recovery, and one of those moves involves throwing a tennis ball during practice.
The Athletic's Greg Auman was on the Bucs' training facility when he was the bizarre scene during the quarterbacks routine practice. They were doing the usual drills with the balls, but Winston's bright yellow ball definitely stood out for an entirely different reason.
Progress at Bucs practice: Jameis Winston is throwing … tennis balls. Another step as he tried to play through thumb injury. pic.twitter.com/i6t8KC6tVR
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) December 12, 2019
It has to be said that the tennis ball subbing in for an actual pigskin is not giving him a good look from outsiders. In fact, this move is just telegraphing to the Lions' coaching staff that Winston may not be fully recovered in time for their Sunday clash.
However, the other side of the coin can also be considered as true. Since Winston is doing everything in his power to play through his thumb injury, not rushing the recovery is a wise move for him. Slowly getting him acquainted with the pain will be able to help him throw the football more effectively.
Tampa Bay definitely needs Famous Jameis to be in playing condition before kickoff. He's notched 4,115 passing yards for eight yards per pass attempt and 26 touchdowns. His passing game will be vital for the team's success, as winning their last three games could possibly get them the final wildcard spot in the NFC playoffs.
However, head coach Bruce Arians expects Winston to be ready to play by Sunday. According to Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud, he expects his QB1 to be ready to play by Sunday. “That’s the plan,” Arians said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Whether he actually gets fit on time for kickoff is an entirely different matter, of course.
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