It may be hard to believe, but Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston still has a good number of defenders out there who feel he deserves to come back after this season, despite the number of interceptions and turnovers he has that have many experts saying otherwise.
Playing on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, Winston has done little this season to make the decision about his future any easier for the Bucs. Despite big passing numbers, he leads the league with 20 interceptions, leading many to believe that these final four games could be his last in a Bucs uniform.
But, should Winston be given one more year under Bruce Arians before the team definitively decides whether or not to cut ties with the former number one overall pick?
It might be hard to argue in his defense, but, if you are going to, you need look no further than former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer to plead your case.
Palmer, like Winston, was a number one overall pick and spent seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before spending two forgettable years with the Oakland Raiders. Palmer came to Arizona in 2013, Arians’ first year coaching the team, and the numbers Palmer put up in that first year playing for Arians look very Winston-like.
In 2013, Palmer threw for 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while leading the Cards to a 10-6 record. Those 22 interceptions were a career high for Palmer. Through 13 weeks this year, Winston has thrown for 22 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, also a career high.
But, in his second full season playing under Arians in 2015 (Palmer was limited to just six games in 2014 due to injuries, but was 6-0 in those games), the former USC star led the Cardinals to a 13-3 record while throwing for a career high in both yards (4,671) and touchdowns (35), while throwing just 11 interceptions. He led the Cards to the 2015 NFC Championship Game and was a legitimate MVP candidate.
That’s not to say Winston will have the same success as Palmer if he continues playing for Arians, but the fact that Palmer also threw the most interceptions of his career during his first year with Arians may just prove that a quarterback needs time to learn and adjust his game to suit the offensive system.
Winston has four more games to make his case to Tampa Bay. Ultimately, Arians will likely be the one who decides his future beyond 2019.
[lawrence-related id=25779,25772,25764,25752]