Buccaneers to shut down Jameis Winston for “a few weeks”

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Dirk Koetter announced Monday that the Buccaneers (2-6) are shutting down quarterback Jameis Winston for “a few weeks.”

With the season just about lost anyway, the Buccaneers are keeping quarterback Jameis Winston out for “a few weeks.” A shoulder injury continued to hold Winston back this week, as he sat out the second half of Sunday’s 30-10 loss in New Orleans. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick relieved him and will now start next Sunday’s game in his place. Ryan Griffin, coming off an injury of his own, will be active as the team’s backup.

Winston first injured his shoulder back in week six against Arizona, but continued to push through it. For two straight weeks, the third-year quarterback held off from throwing until Friday in order to play on Sunday. Last week, he threw Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The shoulder didn’t seem to be an issue against Buffalo in week seven, but looked much worse in losses to Carolina and New Orleans. Tampa Bay is 0-4 since Winston’s injury first occurred.

After leaving Sunday’s loss early, Winston had X-Rays and an MRI. Based on the results, the Bucs are choosing to let him rest. With playoff chances all but officially gone, this is the right move for the future of the franchise. Depending on how the next few weeks go, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to just keep the 23-year-old out for the rest of the season. There’s no sense in re-injuring his shoulder in a game that has no meaning.

With “Famous Jameis” out, Fitzpatrick will face his former team on Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. The Jets are coming to town, led by former Buc Josh McCown. Over his 13-year career, the Harvard product has 26,246 yards and 170 touchdowns to 135 interceptions.

Next: Buccaneers Pick Six: Season spirals out of control

Kickoff for Sunday’s Bucs-Jets game is set for 1:00 p.m.