The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced this morning that they’ve placed the franchise tag on linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who led the NFL last season with 19.5 sacks after signing a one-year “prove it” deal with the Bucs last offseason.
The move isn’t all that surprising, considering ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the other week that the Bucs would do just that if they couldn’t reach a long-term deal with Barrett. But, the move also indicates that the team may be ready to move on from quarterback Jameis Winston, who himself is a free agent.
Speculation has run rampant in recent weeks over who will be under center for the Bucs in 2020. Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater have had their names thrown into the mix, making it clear the Bucs aren’t sold on bringing Winston back.
With Barrett getting the tag this morning, Winston — whether coincidentally or not — took to Instagram a short while ago and posted the below picture and caption, which may very well indicate his time with the Bucs is over.
Take a look.
If you want to read between the lines, it could be that Winston is trying to stay positive and keep his head held high as he starts the process of finding a new home.
If it is the end for Winston in Tampa Bay, he finishes his career with the Bucs with 19,737 passing yards, 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions, including a career-high 30 in 2019.
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