Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has never been shy about being a vocal leader for the team, however, it appears there is a much more quiet confidence about him going into the 2019 NFL season.
Amidst the Bucs significant changes this offseason, head coach Bruce Arians ensured that Winston would be the untouched starter moving forward. General manager Jason Licht said during an appearance SiriusXM NFL Radio that he has switched up his approach this year, via JoeBucsFan.com:
“Just the way he’s carrying himself right now, he is very relaxed. He is very calm,” said Licht. “He is a different guy than I’ve seen in the previous seasons that he’s been here. It’s a confidence. I feel like, you know, he knows we gotta win. And he knows he’s gotta cut back on mistakes. It’s almost like it’s, I don’t want to say ‘all of a sudden it clicked,’ but he realizes where we’re at and where he’s at and he’s comfortable with it.”
“He hasn’t been trying to be the rah-rah guy,” Licht said. “He hasn’t been trying to be the overall team, emotional leader. He’s focused. . . . He knows that he’s got to play quarterback well, and that’s what a true quarterback does and then he leads by doing that.”
Winston's demeanor could simply be a sign of maturity for the fifth-year quarterback. He has become well-known for his quirky pre-game speeches; however, he seems to be all business heading into the 2019 season.
There has never been any question about Winston's talent under center. Unfortunately, his fluctuating performance has led to a lack of consistency on his part, which some can credit as the reason for the Bucs' failure to remain competitive in recent years.
The 25-year-old is entering a deciding year for himself to prove his status as a bona fide franchise QB. Although he will have his work cut out with the loss of several weapons in his receiving corps, Winston has shown Licht that he is up to the task.
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