It seems Jameis Winston can’t enter an offseason without dealing with the hassle of questions surrounding his NFL future. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, who threw for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 2019, is set to become a free agent, and whether or not the Bucs will retain him is one of the NFL’s biggest offseason stories.
Reports have had veteran quarterbacks like Philip Rivers or Tom Brady coming to Tampa Bay to replace the former Heisman Trophy winner, and the other week Peter King of NBC Sports wrote about how he really wanted Winston to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now, Matt Bowen of ESPN is hopping aboard the Winston-to-the-Steelers bandwagon, writing about how Pittsburgh offers the best fit schematically for Winston.
Per Bowen:
“Considering the number of veteran quarterbacks on the market, Winston could have to take on a No. 2 role in 2020. That’s why I’m looking at Pittsburgh on a one-year deal, where Winston would settle for a backup role to Ben Roethlisberger for Mike Tomlin’s team. Given Roethlisberger’s injury history, it would allow the Steelers to upgrade the depth chart with a backup quarterback carrying legit starting experience. And the 26-year-old Winston could restart his career and work on his game.”
If Winston is truly willing to accept a backup role — at least for a year — Pittsburgh could be a prime destination. It’s a strong organization with a great head coach, and Winston could learn a thing or two from Roethlisberger, a former Arians pupil.
Bowen also goes on to say that Teddy Bridgewater would be a great fit for the Buccaneers, should they move on from Winston. The Bucs got an up close look at Bridgewater last season in Week 5, when the Saints backup filled in for an injured Drew Brees and torched the Bucs for 314 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-24 win.
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