The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were dealt their first obstacle of the 2018 NFL season with the three-game suspension of quarterback Jamies Winston. Fortunately, Tampa Bay took the right precautions to make sure the team stays competitive in his absence.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick established himself as one of the most quality backups in the NFL last season. According to Scott Smith of the team's official website, he will start Week 1 barring injury:

Head Coach Dirk Koetter says Ryan Fitzpatrick is the planned starter to open the season, if nothing crazy happens. Fitzpatrick worked with the 1st-team today, Jameis Winston worked with all 3 groups.

The update hardly comes as any surprise. Although he may be a backup, Fitzpatrick has essentially become a spot-starter for the oft-injured Winston last season.

The veteran did a stellar job of maintaining the stability under center. He finished the 2017 campaign with 1,103 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions after appearing in six games. While he may have been on the market for a bit this offseason, the Buccaneers made sure to keep him around as a contingency plan after agreeing to a one-year deal. Fitzpatrick made it abundantly clear that he was content on finishing his career with the Bucs.

Despite Winston's suspension, Tampa Bay has high hopes for the upcoming season. It goes without saying that last year did not fit the billing for what they wanted to achieve at the beginning of the season. It will be on Fitzpatrick to make sure the team is in good shape by the time Winston makes his return.