NFL Free Agency 2020: What are Jameis Winston’s options?

Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be looking at a new starting quarterback for 2020. Is there a new landing spot for Jameis Winston?

Last week, esteemed NFL writer Peter King contemplated who could be where when it came to the league’s quarterback situation. The combination of a potential free-agent ledger that could include Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Ryan Tannehill and Teddy Bridgewater and a rookie class with names such as Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert makes for quite the game of connecting the dots.

Also on the list figures to be talented Jameis Winston, whose five-year career to date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has featured plenty of highs and lows, with a lean toward the latter. And when King was putting the pieces in his puzzle, he stated that the former Florida State Seminole was “likely” leaving Tampa.

That’s due in large part to the fact that the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has yet to figure out how to consistently take care of the football. This past season, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner led the league with 5,109 yards through the air. There were 33 scores, second only to NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

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But Winston was also picked off a disturbing 30 times, seven of those returned for touchdowns. Add in five lost fumbles and the five-year pro had 35 of the Bucs’ league-high 35 turnovers. To put that in its proper perspective, that was as many miscues or more than the other 31 teams in the league.

A total of 72 career games has added up to 19,737 yards and a so-so 61.3 completion percentage. There have been 121 touchdown tosses and a mind-boggling 111 turnovers — including 88 interceptions. Winston has put the ball on the ground 50 times in five years and lost nearly half (23) of those bobbles.

Yes, Winston could wind up back in Tampa. Bruce Arians has done wonders for quarterbacks during his many years in the game. But 2019 proved to be quite the challenge and in many ways, highly frustrating. The Buccaneers looked like they might sneak in the playoffs thanks to a late-season four-game winning streak. But the club ended last year with two straight losses and a 7-9 mark.

If the Bucs opt to steer the ship in a new direction, where does that leave the 26-year-old signal-caller?

Ideally, the New England Patriots could have an opening if Brady opts to go elsewhere. Bill Belichick stresses ball security and discipline and Winston could learn a lot under Josh McDaniels. What about the Los Angeles Chargers, who appear to be in the midst of a major makeover as they move on from Rivers? It’s worth noting that the veteran passer had as many touchdown passes as turnovers (23) in 2019.

Could the strong-armed quarterback go to a team (New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers) with an established field general (Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers) and sit and learn for a year in a backup role (yes, Brees has not officially re-signed with the team as of yet)?

Those seem unlikely but Winston’s penchant for mistake is not something that can be easily ignored. Could the Cincinnati Bengals and head coach Zac Taylor be a landing spot, even though Burrow is likely headed to the Queen City as the first pick in the 2020 draft (and Andy Dalton is apparently on the trading block)?

The bottom line is that the possibilities are numerous. It’s a year in which some big names at the position could be on the move while other clubs are starting anew with rookies. But what would be the best fit for a gifted football player who can’t hang onto the football. And is there a coach out there who can cure him of his ails? The dominoes will start to officially fall in less than two weeks.