While Tom Brady prepares to take over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his predecessor Jameis Winston is still searching for a new team to call his own. The former number one overall pick, who threw for 5,109 yards to go along with 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 2019, was unfortunately shown the door once Brady chose the Bucs as his next destination.
Even though Winston has kept a positive attitude and looks to be in prime shape, he still hasn’t found any team willing to pony up the money he may be looking for on the open market. Ultimately, Winston may have to settle for a backup role, at least in the short term. Several media members, including NBC Sports’ Peter King, feel the Pittsburgh Steelers could offer Winston the perfect opportunity to sit for a year behind a seasoned starter in Ben Roethlisberger, while also being coached by one of the NFL’s best in Mike Tomlin.
Around the NFL‘s Nick Shook is now boarding the Winston-to-Pittsburgh bandwagon, believing the former Heisman Trophy winner could benefit from being in that environment. The one major roadblock? Pittsburgh’s cap room.
Per Shook:
“With the Steelers needing a long-term answer beyond Ben Roethlisberger, this feels like a sneaky-good situation for both sides. The problem: Pittsburgh has just $10 million in cap space right now, per Over The Cap, so some financial gymnastics might be necessary. But if Mike Tomlin can get Winston to cut down on his risks and turnovers and learn something from Big Ben — not the most eager mentor, but whatever — this has legitimate upside.”
Winston may just have to accept that no team seems willing to invest in him as their starter, at least not in 2020. Keep in mind, though, Winston only turned 26 in January, so he still has plenty of good years left in him. If he can find the right team and head coach, doing a redshirt season might be the best route to take to regain a starting job, as well as a bigger contract, down the line.
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