Since entering the league, quarterback Jameis Winston has held down the starting job for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has been the constant driving force for the franchise on the offensive side of the ball.

However, his contract situation has become an underlying factor as he's set to play in the fourth year of his rookie deal. With that in mind, the Buccaneers have decided to pick up the $20.9 million fifth-year option on Winston's contract, according to James Palmer of the NFL Network.

In his first three seasons, Winston has started 45 games while throwing for more than 4,000 yards in each of the last two campaigns. However, this hasn't exactly translated to much success on the field for the Buccaneers. The team had looked like it was on the verge of taking a major step forward in 2o17 coming off a promising 9-7 campaign the year prior but instead took a step back.

Winston was at the forefront of that all with his inconsistent play throughout the season while dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. All of this led to the Buccaneers falling well short of reaching the playoffs, which the franchise hasn't reached since the 2007 campaign. In fact, the team hasn't won more than nine games in any season with Winston and has failed to top a .500 record twice over that span.

Tampa Bay's commitment to another year shows that the organization still believes that Winston can be the long-term answer under center that could lead them to the playoffs and possibly further. This decision also shows that the level of expectations on him has risen up another level to show that he can finally breakthrough to become a bonafide franchise quarterback.

He has demonstrated glimpses of exactly that. It's just a matter of putting together for the duration of an entire season.