Buccaneers: Handing the keys back to Jameis Winston is the right move

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are once again Jameis Winston’s team. Tampa Bay made the right move to turn back to the former number one overall pick.

It’s official, Jameis Winston will return as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback. And it couldn’t happen any sooner.

Winston took over in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants, and he almost managed a miraculous comeback behind a two-touchdown, 199-yard performance. He led the Buccaneers to four-straight touchdown drives to keep the game close.

Admittedly, Winston had some luck on his side, the Giants couldn’t capitalize on a pair of would-be turnovers, and the Bucs crawled back into the game.

Winston’s efforts would end in defeat, but it was apparent which quarterback deserved the starting job in the next game. Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s time as the starter was up. His three interception day left no doubt that he was what everyone believed him to be, a mediocre quarterback.

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The 2018 season is lost. The Bucs have nothing to gain from playing a 35-year-old veteran. Winston on the other hand still has a future. Despite his recent issues with turnovers and accuracy, Winston has youth and a looming contract extension on his side. Tampa Bay needs to see if Winston deserves the $20 million fifth-year option coming his way next season.

Tampa Bay still has six games left to play. Winston can use the long stretch of games to build his stock and prove to the next regime that he deserves to begin the 2019 season as the starter.

Winston is the most polarizing player on the Buccaneers right now. Off-field issues aside, his play on the field is a never-ending roller coaster ride. He can escape the sack and throw a 50-yard pass down the field with ease and on the next play through it directly into the lap of a linebacker.

His gunslinger style leaves many on the fence about Winston long-term, but what other options does the organization have? They can’t bring Fitzpatrick back to start next season, and fringe starters like Teddy Bridgewater won’t be able to lead this team to the promised land.

Currently, Winston is the Buccaneers best chance of having a true franchise quarterback, but he needs to show prove it, immediately.

Winston only has a few opportunities left. He should be able to keep the starting job for the rest of the season, and depending on the new regime, he will likely get the nod next season as well. So, he doesn’t have much time to show the front office that he is worthy of a big-money extension.

Regardless of how he performs, throwing him out there for the final six games will make the decision easier for 2019 and beyond.

Just a week ago, it made sense for head coach Dirk Koetter to continue to ride the Ryan Fitzpatrick wave. His numbers were far better than Winston’s, and the Buccaneers had a chance to string a few games together and get into the playoff hunt.

Sunday’s loss ends any playoff aspirations for Tampa Bay. Now, Koetter was forced to hand the keys back over to Winston in the hopes that he can save his job by winning a handful of games down the stretch.

Often, when a head coach and a young quarterback enter the fold at the same time like Koetter and Winston were, they are typically tied together. If the quarterback busts, the coach is bound to lose his job because of it.

Winston shouldn’t be considered a bust yet, but Koetter will not be around to see Winston turn the corner if he ever does. With Koetter likely out of the picture next season, the end of the season will be all about development, and all about Winston.