2019 was a wild season for Jameis Winston. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback threw for over 5,000 yards (5,109) and over 30 touchdowns (33). Those both led the NFL.
However, his 30 interceptions also led the league. Winston became the first 30-30 player in NFL history. The fact that he had a 60.7 completion percentage and 5,109 yards just makes a crazy season that much more insane.
With Winston it became a question of the good versus the bad. Do the serious positives of an elite-type playmaker outweigh all the negatives of the risky play? Winston is now a free agent. Which means those questions are even more important, as teams will be trying to decide if they want to sign him or not.
For the Buccaneers though, the answer is pretty simple. Letting Winston walk would be a mistake.
Now, Winston obviously has his issues. 30 interceptions and 12 fumbles in one season should show you that he can basically single-handedly lose you a game. He can also win them though.
The quarterback showed an incredible ability to make plays. Leading the NFL in yards and touchdowns is no simple feat. The risk factor is there, and truthfully he's going to be asking for a lot of money. So the argument against it is simple.
Do you want to dump loads of money onto a quarterback who you can't trust to protect the ball? Will you really win in today's game with someone throwing 30 interceptions in a season?
Here's the big counter argument though. Winston had never thrown more than 18 interceptions in a season before 2019. He's also having eye surgery. Could that actually make a difference? Or will it just prove to not be related?
Even if it's more of a red herring than anything, it's worth considering.
Winston threw for over 300 yards 11 times in 2019. He had 400-plus yards three separate times. Even with the turnovers, he was always producing.
Now let's look at those interceptions. Winston had nine games with multiple interceptions. The Buccaneers went 3-6 in those games. That's not good, but seeing as they went 7-9 on the year, that means they went 4-3 when he limited the turnovers.
So there is a version of this team with a cleaned up Winston that can win. Even when he throws those many interceptions, the offense tends to be high-powered enough to get some punches in.
Then there's the fact that Winston is still just 26. He may just be hitting his prime. And we've seen what a good-Winston can do. If he can keep that up, while limiting the bad-Winston games, you've suddenly got a serious threat of a quarterback on your hands.
Finally, there's the other quarterbacks. Tampa Bay needs a franchise guy. They don't have a top pick in the draft due to that 7-9 record though. So getting one of the top quarterbacks in the draft is unlikely.
Meanwhile, there aren't many free agents that you could find who give you a better long-term shot at a franchise quarterback than Winston.
So yes, he is absolutely still a risk. But you might be able to shave off some of the money he wants for two reasons. First, he might give a “hometown discount” and second, there might not be many teams biting on him. If the well starts to dry up, Tampa Bay could swoop in for a little cheaper.
Winston's positives outweigh those risks. Tampa Bay has shown they can be a competitive team with him at quarterback. And at 26 it's reasonable to believe he could still take the next step at the position and turn into a true franchise QB.
It's a leap of faith to re-sign Winston, but it's one the Buccaneers need to make.
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